Awakening - To Love a Memory
by csihawk
Summary: A retelling of the events of Fire Emblem - Awakening. We can be empowered by our memories. We can be restrained by them. As Robin creates new memories, he forms bonds with other people. However, he will discover that some memories are difficult to let go. He is bound to some memories, because whether pleasant or painful, they define who he is, and who he will become.
1. Meeting in the Fields

**Meeting in the Fields**

Chrom wiped the sweat off his brow and eyed his opponent. A few meters away, a young man in dark robes was catching his breath, recovering from Chrom's last attack. Chrom smiled, taking satisfaction that his opponent was having difficulty.

"Is that all you've got?"

Chrom was about to respond, when his foe disappeared for the briefest moment. Chrom saw the man running, not towards him but farther away. Chrom saw a tome emerge from the man's robes.

"Thunder!"

Chrom braced himself for the incoming bolt of magic. Chrom heard an impact on the ground next to him. The attack had missed.

Chrom's smile returned, and he ran towards his opponent, sword ready to strike. He saw that the tome was gone once again, and a sword was in its place. "This is it!" Chrom shouted. His sword came down with a force that pushed his opponent down to one knee. Before his opponent could respond, Chrom spun around and landed a solid strike on his opponent's side. His opponent was sent tumbling a few feet.

The young man groaned and rolled onto his back.

"Robin!" a young voice called. Chrom turned to see his sister, Lissa, running up to him. "Chrom, be careful! He's delicate!"

"You okay, Robin?" Chrom asked, running up to check on him. Chrom extended his hand to help Robin up.

"I don't know how I feel about being called delicate, but it's feeling pretty accurate right now. I know we're using training swords, but you could still hold back a bit," Robin said, accepting Chrom's hand. Chrom pulled Robin up and patted him on the shoulder.

"I was, but you kinda forced me to step up a notch," Chrom said, smiling. "Though I would appreciate some more practice against magic. You didn't have to pull back your attack."

"Oh, you wanted to miss?" Lissa asked. She had begun healing Robin.

Robin dusted himself off. "Sorry. I was thinking of the best tactical approach, but then I thought I needed more sword practice than magic. It was tough enough, using that bronze sword back in Southtown. And even if I had hit you, I know you'd be able to withstand it and finish me with the next attack." Robin turned to Lissa. "Thank you, Lissa," he said. "I'm feeling better, already."

"That's what I'm here for. And to make sure Chrom doesn't do anything stupid, like injure our tactician," Lissa said.

"It'll take more than that to injure our tactician." Chrom said.

"Hey, speak for yourself," Robin responded. "I don't know how I'd be feeling, if Lissa wasn't here right now."

"But this was good practice. Thank you for accepting my challenge," Chrom said. "I like to know how everyone fights in the Shepherds."

"That's an important part of planning tactics and strategy," Robin said. "I can already see ways we can work better in battle, together. I'm glad I accepted your challenge." Robin extended his hand, and Chrom shook it.

"Excellent duel. Let's do it again, sometime," Chrom said.

Robin laughed. "Sure. Though give me some time to rest. Lissa can heal my body, but I don't know if you can restore my energy."

"I think you might be permanently sleepy," Lissa said. "I mean, look at your hair! And your eyes always seem half-closed."

"But if he didn't have that look, he wouldn't be the Robin we know," Chrom said.

Robin was thoughtful for a moment. "Who is the Robin you know?" he asked.

"Robin..." Lissa said, looking at him with sympathy.

"I guess you can have the pleasure of getting to know yourself as we do, too. But one thing I know is Robin is a good person, who will help even complete strangers in need."

"Sounds like you're describing yourself," Robin said.

"Hah, well, that's how I know. It takes one to know one."

The three of them shared a laugh.

"I'm glad all of you are having fun on the eve of our march," a stern voice said.

"Frederick! You were watching?" Chrom asked.

"Indeed, I was," Frederick said, walking up to them in his armor. "Robin, you would do well to join my training regimen. You move quickly, but you don't have the strength to back it up. Even if you had blocked that last attack, you would not have been able to stop it."

"I might have to take you up on that offer," Robin said.

"Ouch. Be careful what you say, Robin!" Lissa said.

"Lady Lissa, I believe you are long overdue for some training. I believe you were the one who said you wanted to get stronger."

"Oh my, look at the time! I have to go!" Lissa said, already running away. "See you tomorrow morning, everyone!"

"Lissa, wait up!" Chrom said, moving to join her.

"Before you go, milord, I wanted to remind you that Lady Emmeryn wishes to see you before dusk," Frederick said.

"Ah, of course." Chrom turned to Robin. "You know your new quarters?"

"Yes, thank you. Lissa and Sumia showed me around earlier," Robin said.

"Good. Then I'll see you tomorrow?" Chrom said.

"See you tomorrow," Robin replied.

"Bye," Chrom said as he started to walk away. Frederick nodded to Robin and joined Chrom. "Get some rest!" Chrom called. He joined with Lissa in the distance, and the three of them disappeared behind a hill.

"Whew," Robin exhaled, tiredly. He walked over to a nearby well and rinsed his face with some water. He then wandered to a small patch of grass and allowed his body to collapse onto the ground.

Robin reached out to the sky with his hand. The glare from the sun was blocking the mark on his hand. The sun couldn't block it from his mind, though. He sighed. He had been awake for twenty-four hours. A lot had happened in that time. He had met some wonderful people, seen some horrible monsters, and found skills he possessed that were disturbingly war-related. He did not enjoy the possibility that he had honed his skills through violent practice on other people.

Footsteps provided Robin with an appreciated distraction from the mysteries of his past. He could hear several sets of heavy feet. There were probably four horses, from the sound they made.

"Chrom!" Robin heard the voice of a woman. The voice was soft and loving. Robin allowed his brain to create a picture of this woman, based solely on her utterance of one word. He was picturing a kind and comforting beauty, with a maturity beyond her years. "Chrom, is that you?"

Robin stood up from the grass and brushed himself off. He looked up to see that the voice belonged to the woman he had seen before on the streets. Robin's eyes widened when he remembered that she was the leader of Ylisse, the beloved Exalt, Emmeryn. Robin immediately bowed.

"Your Grace, I'm afraid not. Chrom went off to find you," Robin said, still in a bow.

"Oh, please stand up. You do not have to bow."

"As you wish, Your Grace," Robin said. He stood up and saw Emmeryn approaching with three other guards, all on horseback. Three of the horses had wings, though.

Emmeryn looked him up and down, then smiled. "You are Chrom's friend. We met this morning. Robin, is it not?"

"You honor me with my name, Your Grace," Robin said. He was still a little nervous, so he looked down at the ground.

"If you are Robin, friend of Chrom, then you can call me Emmeryn, friend of Robin."

Robin looked up, his eyes wide again. "But... is that okay?"

Emmeryn smiled. "We are all friends, here. I wish to be friends with all of my people. And I hope they think of me as a friend, as well."

"You are too kind, Your Grace!"

"E-mme-ryn."

"You are too kind... Lady Emmeryn."

Robin began to wonder if Emmeryn ever stopped smiling. Her smile was contagious, however, and he found himself smiling as well.

"Ahem, Lady Emmeryn." One of the guards behind her caught their attention.

"Ah, Phila, I'm sorry," Emmeryn said. She turned back to Robin. "Perhaps you can be of assistance. I was looking for Chrom to go over his plans for entering Regna Ferox."

"Anything I can do to help," Robin said. He hesitated for a moment. "...What is it that you would ask of me?"

"Phila, could you hand me the reports?"

"Of course, Your Grace," Phila said. She came up next to Emmeryn and handed her a bundle of papers. Emmeryn took the papers, then handed them to Robin.

"These are our latest intelligence reports on the border between Ylisse and Regna Ferox. I wanted Chrom to create a few proposals on approaching their land. I understand you have quite a tactical mind?"

"Lady Emmeryn!" Phila exclaimed. "Pardon my inquiry, but should you trust this man with this information so early?"

"Chrom told me that he would be entrusting Robin here with tactical plans. We can save a trip and precious time if Robin gets the reports earlier."

Robin didn't know what to do. He was a little surprised that Chrom had said that. He didn't want to voice his surprise, though, because that would weaken Emmeryn's words. He could sympathize with Phila, however. Even he wasn't entirely convinced that he was trustworthy.

"If it is your request, then I will help however I can," Robin said. "If it would ease Lady Phila's mind, I do not mind being monitored throughout the process."

"Thank you, Robin, but that will not be necessary," Emmeryn said. She turned to Phila. "Right?"

"Of course, Lady Emmeryn. Forgive me for questioning you."

"Phila, I appreciate your questioning. You help me stay on a path both righteous and true. Please don't ever hesitate sharing your concerns."

Robin watched the two of them interact. Emmeryn was indeed a kind ruler, but not a blind one. Robin took some comfort in Emmeryn's understanding of Phila's position. He figured it was probably tough to balance kindness with practicality, as Emmeryn and Chrom often do.

"Amazing," Robin found himself saying aloud softly.

"Oh?" Emmeryn had heard Robin's comment. "Thank you, Robin. Though you are being too kind. I think amazing is the person who farms every day to feed his family and his country. Amazing is the soldier who would knowingly risk her life for the good of her country."

"Amazing is the person who can inspire loyalty and friendship in a poor stranger in less than 24 hours," Robin said. "Like Sir Chrom. And as I am now seeing, Your Grace as well."

"Amazing is the person who has no memory, but a great wealth of skill and intelligence, and the graciousness to use them for the good of others, when they could easily be used for malicious intent. In fact, your story is quite amazing, and it has only just started."

"Yes, yes, everyone is amazing," Phila said, slightly annoyed at the exchange. Emmeryn giggled at this.

"My, my. Phila, I didn't think you would be so disapproving," Emmeryn said. "I will make sure to watch what I say around you."

"I'm sorry, Your Grace!" Phila exclaimed, somewhat flustered. "I do not disapprove! I believe that it is Your Grace that attracts such high-quality people, Lady Emmeryn. But dusk is approaching, and you wanted to save time by meeting Sir Chrom."

Robin smacked his own forehead. "Forgive me, I have diverted way too much of your time." Robin pointed off toward the hill. "Sir Chrom headed that way. If you hurry, you should be able to catch up."

"But you are joining us, of course," Emmeryn said. "You will be discussing the plans with Chrom, will you not?"

"Robin, you may ride with me," Phila said. "If that pleases you, Lady Emmeryn."

"That should be fine," Emmeryn said. She turned to Robin. "Okay?"

"Yes, thank you," Robin said. "And while I don't know how much it's worth, I really do appreciate your kindness and welcome. You and Chrom and Lissa."

Emmeryn smiled once more. "Welcome to Ylisse. The people's happiness is my happiness."

Robin turned to Phila. "Lady Phila, I hope for multiple opportunities to prove my loyalty and earn your trust."

"I look forward to it," Phila said, as she extended her hand. She helped Robin up onto her pegasus. She and the two other guards formed a triangle around Emmeryn. The four of them took off to catch up with Chrom. As Robin reflected on how much had happened in just 24 hours, he couldn't help but wonder what epic tales were in store for his future.

* * *

 **Author's Note: This is my second submission, though I started writing it well before my first. While I was writing chapters for Searching for an Olive Branch, I would often come up with story ideas that were more appropriate in a different setting or premise. So it is my hope that writing more than one story at the same time can help rather than hamper progress. Or maybe I am being a naive writer.**

 **Anyhoo, I welcome your thoughts. I actually have 23 pages written for this story, but they're not in order and they skip around. I had considered just writing vignettes and not following a chronological order, kind of like the 100 theme challenges I've seen, but for some reason, I feel like that method doesn't befit the style of this story.**


	2. An Offsetting Smile

Chapter 2 - An Offsetting Smile

The sun was rising, painting the sky with vibrant reds, oranges, and purples. The magnificent horizon was to Robin's back, as he stood at attention with the rest of the Shepherds while a comparatively magnificent figure greeted each one of them.

"Sir Frederick, I know you will keep Chrom and Lissa safe. Safe journey to you," Emmeryn said, shaking his hand.

"Of course, Your Grace," Frederick replied, bowing as soon as Emmeryn released his hand. Emmeryn then stepped up to Robin. She smiled.

"Sir Robin, I know your guidance will bring everyone back," Emmeryn said, taking Robin's hand and shaking it. "I look forward to hearing word of your success."

"I will make sure not to disappoint you, Lady...Your… Your Grace!" Robin exclaimed, snapping a bow.

A gentle hand lifted his chin up. He looked up at Emmeryn, who had brought her hand to her mouth to hide a giggle. "Keep your head high, Sir Robin. Safe journey to you." Maybe the sun was reflecting off her face, but her eyes closed briefly as her smile glistened radiantly.

Robin was also blinded. "Thank you, Your Grace," he said as he closed his eyes and grinned widely, having caught her highly contagious smile.

* * *

"Robin? Robin!"

Robin's smile disappeared. He looked around and analyzed the current situation. He was standing in the cold, next to a giant wall meant to keep any enemies out, whether bandits or armies. On the ground before him was the archer he had just knocked out, with a broken bow he had just cut in half. A few meters next to him, Vaike was standing in front of a disarmed and unconscious soldier. "You can't spell victory without Vaike!" he exclaimed.

Lissa was healing Vaike, though her head was turned to Robin. "Robin! You okay there? You looked a little lost."

"Lost in a happy place, Teach reckons," Vaike said, walking over to him.

"Yeah, that smile was… eerie," Lissa said. "Especially during battle."

"Sorry," Robin replied. "I was thinking of when we were back in Ylisse."

"It wasn't that long ago!" Lissa said. "Anyway, here. One of the soldiers dropped this."

Lissa handed Robin a large key. There was a stripe of white paint on the key ring. Robin looked up at the gate at the top of the stairs. It had a similar white stripe painted on it. "Hmm," Robin hummed. As he looked at the gate, a figure became noticeable in the corner of his eye. Robin squinted for a moment.

"Kellam!"

Kellam jumped, which was a surprising feat in the large armor he was wearing. "Yes?" he said, after catching his breath.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," Robin said.

"Oh no, I'm just not used to people noticing me and... well, calling me with so much focus."

"...Okay. Well, I have an important task for you."

"Of course, what is it?"

"Cover me while I open that gate ahead of us. Now, expect a counter attack. I can sense at least one enemy beyond this gate. But I know your strength. You will be able to withstand and counter the enemy."

"You know my strength?" Kellam asked.

"I know we just met a few hours ago..."

"We met a few days ago, at the Shepherds' garrison."

"...but trust me. I can see your strength. And I'll be with you when you open the door."

Kellam was quiet for a moment. He was assessing this new Shepherd. He could see why Chrom valued him so much, not just as a soldier, but as a friend as well. He could give his trust and earn your trust with ease. He could notice things about people that no one else could. Kellam smiled.

"Understood," Kellam said.

"Good. Wait for my mark, though." Robin turned and whistled. "Sully! Stahl!"

The two rode up to him. "What's up?" Sully asked. Stahl gave a little salute.

"When we open this door, be prepared to charge in and attack the enemy," Robin said.

"You got it!" Sully said.

"Sounds like a plan," Stahl agreed.

Robin placed his hand up, signalling them to be quiet. He listened for a moment. The faint sounds of battle were happening over to the east. He approached the gate and tried to focus his senses. Suddenly, he heard the faint but distinctive sound of heavy armor. Robin thought for a moment.

"It's not a solid plan yet," Robin said. "I'd like Miriel to be here to ensure one hundred percent success. Stand by for now."

"Well, we'll trust you," Stahl said. "Though Sully here doesn't seem too patient."

"Hey, I'm disciplined!" Sully responded. "I'm excited, but not foolish."

Robin wasn't listening to them arguing. He peered around the corner of the wall at the bottom of the stairs to see the others finishing off a few enemy soldiers. Soon enough, everyone gathered around the stairs.

"The battle is going well," Chrom said. "And we've managed to spare their lives."

"Though they seem determined to impede our efforts in clemency," Miriel observed.

"We are better than that, and can afford them such effort," Frederick responded.

"Always the knight," Robin thought. "Okay, everyone, here's the plan. Miriel, I think I'll need your magic. When Kellam and I open this gate, Frederick, take Miriel to launch an attack on the enemy. If they attack first, Kellam will protect us. But I don't know if he'll be able to finish off the opponent in that opportunity."

"Understood," Frederick said.

"Kellam and Miriel's attack should finish off the opponent. If not, however, Sully and Stahl, charge in and finish them off. Chrom and Sumia, you can also help finish off the guard. Basically, all the fast riders will charge in."

"Okay, I think I can do that," Sumia said. A hand on Sumia's shoulder startled her for a moment.

"I'll be with you. Don't worry about a thing," Chrom said.

"And you are our fourth option. I'm fairly confident Kellam and Miriel will take care of things. But just in case..." Robin trailed off.

"All right, and you're saving the best for last?" Vaike piped up.

"Of course," Robin said. "When we've cleared the immediate gateway area, Sully and Stahl will charge in and intercept any incoming enemies. Sumia and Frederick, take Chrom and Miriel to secure our position from the enemies to the east side. Vaike and Lissa, you stay with us and heal anyone if needed.

"The Vaike doesn't heal people very well," Vaike said.

"Um, Vaike..." Lissa began. Vaike began laughing.

"Ole' Teach is just joking! Yeah, I'll watch out for little Lady Lissa here," Vaike said.

"Good. Then everyone understands their part?" Robin asked. Everyone nodded or grunted their acknowledgement. "Kellam, prepare," Robin ordered.

Kellam braced himself at the gate while Robin prepared to open the door. He looked back once again to make sure everyone was in place. Then, he opened the gate. Immediately, an armored knight charged at Robin.

"Watch yourself!" Kellam exclaimed, taking the brunt of the attack. He gritted his teeth for a moment, but saw an opening to strike the knight with his lance. The strike caused the knight to fall back for a moment, and Kellam saw another opportunity to strike. His second strike kept the knight off balance.

Then, a fireball flew past Kellam and struck the knight, knocking him to the ground. Before anyone could celebrate, Robin saw a swordsman and axeman running towards them. "Sully, Stahl, the swordsman! Chrom, Sumia, the axeman!"

Sumia flew past, then dropped Chrom off in time for Chrom to block a strike from the axeman. Sumia then swooped in to land a hit with her lance.

"Nice move!" Chrom said, as he added his own attack. Chrom bashed the side of the axeman's head with the flat of his sword. The axeman went flying, spinning in the air before falling to the ground, unconscious.

"Chrom, look!" Sumia exclaimed. Another axeman was approaching, with a heavily armored knight in the distance farther behind.

"Miriel and Frederick, you take on the knight while Chrom engages the axeman," Robin said. "Sumia, support Chrom."

Stahl clashed swords with his target. Sully came from a different angle and managed to hit the swordsman's side. He had jumped away in time to avoid a critical hit. At this point, however, Vaike jumped and landed a strong blow. Once again, the person landed on the ground, unconscious.

"Vaike, watch out!" Lissa exclaimed. Vaike turned around to see a short spear cut across his shoulder. He kneeled down and applied pressure to the wound, grunting in pain.

"Fall back while Lissa heals you!" Robin shouted. "Sully, Stahl, buy some time!"

"Raaah!" Sully and Stahl rode past Robin on their horses, weapons in hand. Sully thrust her lance forward, but their armored opponent blocked with a simple but effective movement.

"Over here!" Stahl said as he swung his sword at the armored knight's back. The sword slid off her armor with little damage. The armored knight started laughing.

"I am Raimi, general of Feroxi," Raimi introduced herself. "Is this how you think the warriors of Ylisse would fight? You move like mindless bandits," Raimi said.

"What?! Step out of that armor, and we'll see who walks away mindless!" Sully shouted. Sully prepared for another pass and was about to charge, when Robin stopped her.

"Sully! Stahl! Head to Chrom's position and secure the east entrance."

"But..." Sully began.

"Understood," Stahl said. He brought his horse next to Sully. "Come on, Chrom needs our help."

Sully nodded and smiled. "Yeah, he does. All right. Raimi, you are an excellent opponent, but your pesky mosquito troops need a bit of swapping."

"What was that, cavalier?" Raimi stepped forward angrily, then stopped herself when she looked back at the position she was supposed to guard. "I suppose it makes sense for bandits to retreat."

"We're not retreating."

Raimi turned to see a short, young man in dark robes. He held a bronze sword in a unique stance. He didn't quite have a myrmidon's stance, nor did he have the cockiness of a mercenary. _"Perhaps he is a thief,"_ Raimi thought to herself. _"Whatever he is, he does not possess the muscle, nor the equipment to face me."_ She scoffed.

"If I were not convinced you were bandits before, now I know. Little man, perhaps you should run off now and join your horsemen in your retreat. I don't enjoy beating weaklings."

Raimi saw the young man adopt a cheerful grin. His eyes almost looked closed, as if he were smiling at a dream he was having. Raimi clenched her weapon tightly, eager to wipe the grin off this man's face.

"You have the range to keep me away, and the strength to defeat me in, let me see, two strikes. Nevertheless..." Robin swung his sword in front of him, confidence shining from his posture. "I will be the one to take you down."

Raimi started running towards Robin. With excellent timing, she released her short spear, accompanying her attack with a strong shout. "Haaah!"

Robin reacted quickly. He stepped to the side, minimizing his movements and positioning his sword to guard any deviation in the spear's course. As Raimi regained her stance, Robin used his other hand to reveal a tome from underneath his robe. In one movement, he replaced his sword with the tome. Raimi's eyes widened as she saw Robin's mouth move while his right hand was raised above his head, as if to slice down with an invisible sword. "Thunder."

The book in his left hand was fluttering with energy as his right hand unleashed a sphere of light, piercing Raimi's armor and sending energy throughout her body. For one moment, she was forced down on one knee. She braced herself with her weapon before recomposing her posture. "A mage," she uttered. "I underestimated you. I didn't think bandits like you would be able to read, much less hold knowledge of magic."

Robin shrugged. "I dabble," he said. His smile had reappeared.

Raimi found herself smiling as well. "I suppose there are always exceptions," she said. "But I also suspect your words were honest. You don't possess the constitution to take on my attacks. And I have seen your movements. I apologize in advance, but my next attack will not miss."

Raimi started running towards Robin.

"I accept your apology. I was being honest, but don't think I was unprepared."

"Your body won't be prepared for this. Take this!" Raimi's right foot came crashing down with thunderous strength as her hand released her spear at Robin with deadly accuracy.

Robin had been watching Raimi's movements carefully. He needed to time her attack and his response carefully. He also needed to trust himself, and his comrades. "Kellam, now!"

Raimi looked up from her attack to see a heavily armored knight take the brunt of the attack.

"Don't let your eyes wander during a battle!" Robin warned, as energy gathered in his right hand. He cast another wave of light at Raimi.

She could have had minutes of preparation, rather than the fraction of a second Robin provided her, but it still wouldn't have been enough. As she was sent flying backwards, and the magical energy began to overwhelm her consciousness, an image of Robin's smile popped into her head. It wasn't a cheerful smile, but a menacing one. _"It's like the blind smile of death…"_

* * *

 **Author's Note: When the characters describe Robin's appearance, I was thinking of Build 02, Face 04, Hair 05. His eyes look sardonic, his hair ruffled as if he never combs it after waking up. And he's short. I want him to be shorter than Chrom, at least.** **This chapter, I had Face 03 in mind, where his eyes are closed and he's smiling. Kinda like Henry, except Henry is tall and his smile seems a lot bigger. ...Fun fact.**

 **While most of this chapter I've had done for weeks, it was only today that I added the first part where Emmeryn says goodbye to everyone. I felt like the chapter should mention Emmeryn at least once, or the chapter might not be necessary. Actually, I had a part written of the battle against the Risen, before the Longfort, when Miriel joins them. But once again, that didn't mention Emmeryn, and I deemed it unnecessary. Maybe I'll write an appendix with these side stories.**

 **Please gimme comments! Shower me with praise, or light drizzle, maybe 30%-chance-of-precipitation me with criticisms. Something I would be curious to hear: Would you like me to post the battles or the scenes that don't have Emmeryn mentioned? Do you want me to cover every event in the game? Or do you think the story flows smoothly if I skip ahead sometimes, like I did with the Risen battle.**

 **Oh, and I like side characters. Phila, Raimi, Pheros, why not hear more about them? Huh? Why not?**

 **I'll probably update Searching for an Olive Branch next. Whoa, I just spotted and fixed a grammatical error. Good thing I didn't hit "Save" yet... until now. Okay, rambling over.**


	3. Moonlit Ideals

Chapter 3 - Moonlit Ideals

When Chrom and Lissa had entered the audience chambers back in Ylisse, they were wearing smiles, ready to deliver the good news that Regna Ferox would support Ylisse. But when Phila came running past, Robin suspected their smiles might be absent when they emerged.

The chamber doors burst open, and Robin's prediction was unfortunately correct. Chrom, Lissa, and Phila exited in a rush. Chrom spared no second to turn to Robin.

"Robin, Frederick, you're with me," Chrom said. Robin jogged for a few moments to catch up. "Let's go to the meeting room. Phila, could you bring us the latest sightings from the border?"

"Of course, milord," Phila said. She turned away and hurried elsewhere.

"Milord..." Frederick began, before Lissa cut him off.

"They've taken Maribelle! Those animals," Lissa said, cursing them.

"Emmeryn doesn't want a war. But I'm not letting those Plegians get away with whatever they want," Chrom said. He pushed some doors open and before anyone realized, they were circling around a giant table in the meeting room. "Frederick, the border map."

Frederick selected a rolled up scroll and unfurled it across the table. Chrom leaned on the table, looking at the map. Chrom pointed at an icon on the map.

"Robin, this is the region of Themis. Over here, the Plegians attacked a village and took Maribelle."

"Maribelle," Robin said, recalling his meeting with the Shepherds. "Okay, go on."

"Hmm." Chrom thought for a moment. "We may need to wait for Phila to give more precise information. But I can provide background information on the Plegians."

Robin studied the map for a moment. "If we assume that they struck only recently..." Robin thought aloud. This had the unintended effect of causing everyone to lean closer to listen. Robin's finger was on Themis. He traced a line straight to the border with Plegia. "The Plegians moved significantly deep into our territory."

Chrom slammed his fist on the table. "I know! Gods, their arrogance!"

Robin ignored his outburst. "They will take significant time to march back to Plegian lands," he theorized.

"Possibly, yes," Frederick said, nodding.

"What is the composition of Themis's defensive forces?" Robin asked.

"I'm sorry, but they only have a local militia. Villagers armed with spears, for the most part," Chrom said, shaking his head sadly.

"Could you estimate their numbers?"

"Twenty at a moment's notice, perhaps forty total? Enough to stop the bandits you saw at Southtown," Chrom said.

"Then the Plegians would have needed numbers or a well-equipped force to ensure success. Logistically, they will need more time to move their forces," Robin surmised. "This is just a guess, but we may be able to intercept them before they reach their land."

"Then should we leave now?" Lissa asked, gripping her staff. Robin held his hand up.

"We will need time to prepare, too. I'm sorry, Lissa, but there would be too many unknown variables to guarantee success if we left now."

"I understand," Lissa said, sighing. "Maribelle..."

"Don't worry, Lissa. We'll get her back safely," Chrom said. He pulled Lissa in closer for a hug.

Phila came in, her arms full of papers. "Excuse me, milord!" she said. She dropped them onto another table and selected a few relevant packets to show Robin. "This is the report on the attack in Themis. And these are the latest reports from our border patrols and scouts.

Robin scanned the papers given to him. "So the alarm bell rang around then..." He looked at another packet. "Their troop composition," he muttered to himself.

"I am not sure if you are aware, Sir Robin, but Lady Emmeryn will be accompanying us as well," Phila mentioned.

Robin was too absorbed with reading materials to look up from what he was reading. "Understood," he said. Then, he paused for a moment. "Forgive my inattentiveness. I mean no disrespect," he said.

"Don't worry about it, Robin," Chrom said. "What do you need from us?"

"Yeah, let us help!" Lissa said. "Does anyone want some tea or coffee?"

"We should not be thinking on an empty stomach," Frederick said. "It would be a dishonor if we did not perform at our best, all because we missed a meal."

Everyone began to move around. Robin remained in the meeting room, studying the materials and thinking. He ate and drank somewhat mechanically, barely aware of anything else going on. As night approached, people had gone to pack, train, or sleep. Robin had been studying and thinking for hours. He decided to take a break. He poured himself a cup of tea and decided to walk around the castle. He found himself gazing out a window. The moon illuminated the trees and courtyard outside.

Robin extended his hand out toward the moon. The sign on his hand was covered by shadows. "How long has it been since my memory began? Has it been more than a month already?" Robin was losing track of the days. So many had been spent marching to Regna Ferox and back. Between marches, there would usually be a battle to be fought. "Now that I think about it, this might be the only down time I've had. If this can be called down time..."

"Robin?"

A voice called Robin away from his thoughts. He turned to see Emmeryn walking up to him. She looked as graceful and formal as always. Robin's eyes widened, and any sleepiness in him disappeared. He became conscious of his disheveled appearance. He snapped his body into a 90 degree angle and bowed deeply. "Lady Emmeryn! Welcome! ...I mean, it is a pleasure to see you!"

"Please, relax," Emmeryn said, gesturing with her hand for Robin to stand up. "As much as possible in these times, that is." She spoke her last sentence with a sense of sadness.

"Worry not, Lady Emmeryn, we will get Maribelle back safely," Robin said, standing straight again.

Emmeryn summoned a smile, though Robin was a little surprised to see that it was lacking in comparison to her usual warm and positive smile. This smile seemed more forced and was not contagious as usual.

"I believe you. I know Maribelle will come back to us." Emmeryn joined Robin by the window and looked outside. She allowed herself a sigh. "It is war that makes me feel uneasy. Is war really inevitable?"

Robin didn't know how to answer the question. Emmeryn wanted to achieve and maintain peace without fighting, an ideal that Robin found beautiful. However, he would be lying if he said he believed fighting could be avoided to earn and maintain peace.

"I cannot begin to feel the weight of all of Ylisse on my shoulders, a burden I'm sure you are all too familiar with. A burden you may call a blessing, because I know you love your people so much. But a heavy burden, nonetheless."

"Robin..."

"But I do know your beliefs can succeed. Ylisse loves you back. I have heard the people in the streets. I have heard people in the remote villages. Everyone who knows you loves you. The only people who are aggressive are those who do not know you, those who refuse to know you."

"Your words are flattering, as always," Emmeryn said.

"Flattering, perhaps, but truthful."

Sincerity was beginning to return to her smile. The effect lasted only for a moment, when Emmeryn continued to speak. "But how can I spread my ideal to those of Plegia?"

"You must let their people know who you are and what you believe. It is unfortunate, but it seems their king refuses to listen, and yes, conflict is inevitable with such a king. But if you can show the people of Plegia your commitment to peace, I am sure the people will love you, too. A king without the support of his people will fall, and the conflict will be short."

"But how can I show the people of Plegia? Their King Gangrel only incites hatred. It is a hatred that is not completely undeserved." Emmeryn showed her bitterness at her words. Robin was a little confused.

"You have done nothing that deserves anyone's hatred," Robin said.

A bittersweet smile formed on Emmeryn's lips. "Ylisse fought and oppressed the Plegian people. We were antagonists. We killed many of their people. We burdened many of our own people." Emmeryn sighed again. "Unfortunately, our past binds us."

Robin did not speak immediately. Emmeryn glanced at Robin. He looked pensive, staring at a random star outside. "I suppose I have the luxury of being free of my past. And I won't be so naive as to say we should discard our past. But we are in the present, and our efforts should be concentrated on changing the present for a better future. If the Plegians focus all their efforts and motivations on the past, then they are doomed. They have no future. But I have to believe most Plegians don't see that way. They want peace as much as we do. Have faith in that, and if we forge bonds with the people today, then I know our future will be bright."

There was a moment of silence that allowed Robin to let the immediate situation sink in. He stared at the ground for a moment, then scratched the back of his head and grinned. "Heh. Or maybe I'm just a silly amnesiac."

A hand brushed across his cheek. Robin looked up from the ground and saw Emmeryn's warm smile had returned. Her warmth spread to Robin's cheeks as he blushed and looked down at the ground again.

"Thank you, Robin. And I didn't mean to burden you with my problems."

"It is no burden at all, Your Grace! I am here to serve."

Emmeryn giggled briefly. For a moment, she seemed like a young girl, rather than an adult and exalted leader of the people. "Robin, I do enjoy your company. But I must say, I like you more when you aren't so formal."

"But...Your Gr... Emmeryn..." Robin's blush intensified. His eyes found great interest in a spot on the floor.

"I suppose it will take time. But so will our efforts for true peace." A serious tone reappeared in Emmeryn's voice. Robin was able to look up at Emmeryn again. "But you have given me some confidence. I won't be able to convince Plegia of my commitment to peace if I myself doubt my commitment."

"And please remember, Your...Lady Emmeryn. You are not alone. I, the Shepherds, all of your people support you. We will work for this peace as well. If you stay true to your dream and commitment for peace, then the idea will be unstoppable. We will succeed."

Robin was beaming with confidence. As the silence continued for a few epic seconds, Robin once again realized who he was with, and his shy formalities threatened to return. Before he became a babbling servant again, however, Emmeryn extended her hand for a handshake. Robin looked at her hand, and at her warm smile again. He accepted the handshake. Emmeryn put her other hand on top of Robin's.

"Thank you once again, Robin. I am glad Chrom has you by his side. You make my peace seem possible."

"Thank you, Lady Emmeryn."

"When we have no need for a tactician, I would love to appoint you as an advisor in my court."

Robin didn't know what to say. "I... er... thank you. You honor me with your words." He continued to shake her hand energetically.

Emmeryn giggled. "Again with the formalities. But worry not, I won't steal you from Chrom just yet." She released Robin from the handshake. "You should rest, Robin. I know we have a long march ahead of us tomorrow."

"Ah, of course. Thank you. Good night, Lady Emmeryn."

"And good night to you, Sir Robin." Emmeryn folded her two hands in front of her and gave Robin a little bow, before walking away. Robin returned the bow two-fold, and maintained his bow as she walked away. "We'll have to work on dropping the formalities later," she said as she walked. She turned one last time, waved and smiled, then disappeared around a corner.

Robin stood up straight from his bow. He felt energized and motivated, ready to defeat an army by himself. He felt a little unsure if he'd even be able to go to sleep. _"Well, back to the maps,"_ he said to himself. _"Maribelle, be safe. Hopefully I can plan so that minimal blood is shed to pave the way for Emmeryn's peace . But if blood must be shed, better by my hands than Emmeryn's..."_

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Please comment and criticize! Thank you, TaciturnReader, Guest, Guest, Gunlord500, Muggzy, Lushard, and Mrperson01 for your reviews! Keep up your efforts in quality control! Yeah, I'm a huge fan of this pairing too, and there are precious too few other fanfictions of them.**

 **This chapter didn't really have much action, so sorry. Unless that's what you want, in which case, you're welcome.**


	4. A Starry Moment of Peace

Chapter 4 - A Starry Moment of Peace

The Ylissean rescue party had departed while the moon was still the only source of natural light. Robin had surmised that the Plegian convoy would try to avoid any other skirmishes with organized Ylissean militias, which were being formed throughout the territories ever since the news spread that a village had been attacked. Robin hoped that with the rougher and unfamiliar terrain the Plegians had to traverse, the heavy and slow supply convoy needed to sustain them, and the less urgent motivation, the Plegians would be overtaken sometime in the next day.

The sun had finally peeked over the horizon, signalling the tired but determined Ylisseans that they could take a break.

"Whew!" Vaike exhaled as he plopped onto the ground. "Sometimes the Vaike wishes he had a horse." He started stretching out.

"Really?" Stahl asked, walking up to Vaike, a bag of figs in his hand. "I thought you preferred more personal fighting. They do offer so much more mobility and strength, though."

"Ole' Teach has plenty of that already!" Vaike exclaimed, thumping his chest with his fist. Stahl threw Vaike a fig, which he graciously caught and started slicing up. "It's just the marching though, whew!"

"More horses mean more mouths to feed," Robin said, joining the two of them. "Meaning more supplies needed, more effort required. And well, really, we just don't have that many horses."

"Yeah, yeah," Vaike said, before diving into the fig. "Just saying, is all."

"The necessity to voice one's opinion, despite being cognizant of its fallaciousness," Miriel commented, walking up to them with Sully. "Intriguing."

"Huh?" Vaike asked.

"Break time, guys!" Sully exclaimed. "Anyone want to train?"

"Now, Sully, this break is meant to get some rest. A well-rested army is an efficient fighting army," Robin said.

"I don't think we'll be well-rested anytime soon, considering we've been marching since nighttime," Sully said.

"Technically, it was the morning," Miriel pointed out. "Though your point remains valid."

"About training?" Stahl asked.

"Our deprivation of sleep," Miriel corrected. "Robin's point is also valid."

"Thank you, Miriel," Robin said. "I think."

"Hey, guys!" Lissa shouted, running up to them. "Let's get our food, they've started handing it out."

"What are we having today?" Stahl asked, having already finished a fig.

"Bread and fish and vegetable soup. And we even have some strawberries!" Lissa exclaimed.

"Wow, strawberries? Better food than our march to Regna Ferox," Vaike said.

"Since we're staying in Ylissean territory, and our journey is significantly shorter, our supplies will be better," Robin explained. "Don't get too used to it."

A line had formed around some supply wagons. Several people were present to help distribute food. When Robin reached the front, he was surprised to be greeted by the food lady.

"Thank you for your service," she said, offering a large plate of food.

"L...La…La… Lady... Your Grace!" Robin stammered. Emmeryn smiled.

"E-mme-ryn."

"Lady Emmeryn! If needed, please let me help distribute food!" Robin offered.

"My, you don't trust me with this job?" Emmeryn asked, looking hurt.

"Oh, no, not at all! I mean, not that! It's just," Robin began, only to be interrupted by a giggle from Emmeryn.

"Please, Sir Robin. This is the least I can do," Emmeryn said.

"Her Grace insisted," Phila added, while serving food next to Emmeryn. "Worry not, Sir Robin. But you will find it impossible to deny her requests."

"There must be some way I can help, though!" Robin insisted.

"Don't worry about it," Chrom said, serving food next to Phila.

"Chrom, you too?"

"If Robin insists on helping," Frederick began, also serving food, "he can always help dig a latrine."

Chrom smiled and turned to Robin. "There you go, Robin."

"Chrom! Frederick!" Emmeryn said, softly, but with authority. They immediately straightened their pose. "For now, Robin, please eat. I'm sure we can use your services later."

"Well, thank you! All of you are… You really are all amazing. Thank you so much for the food! I will enjoy it to its fullest!" Robin exclaimed.

"You're welcome. Thank you for your service," Emmeryn said.

"Oh! Right! Thank you!"

"Go, Robin, eat," Chrom said. "We'll talk later."

"Er, well, sorry. I guess I shouldn't keep the line," Robin said, turning back to Emmeryn. "Thank you!" He moved backwards to remain facing her, offering many bows of thanks as he went. Finally, he joined the others and sat down on the ground to eat.

"Isn't she just the greatest?" Lissa asked, her voice full of admiration.

"Perhaps you see, Robin, why we are the strongest force in the world," Sully said with confidence. "Our dedication and love for our leaders is only surpassed by their love for us."

"Indeed. Chrom, Emmeryn… really, they're beyond words," Robin agreed. "So then Lissa, why aren't you there with your siblings?"

"Hmph!" Lissa pouted. "You prank one person just one time during dinner, and you're banned from the food forever."

"Prank many people," Stahl said.

"And many times, Ole' Teach seems to recall."

"Whatever! They were just harmless pranks."

"Hmm. I guess pranks might have... some… benefit to… morale," Robin pondered aloud.

"Ooooh," Lissa hummed, looking at Robin with hopeful eyes, which soon turned into scheming eyes.

"Please, Robin, don't encourage her!" Stahl said.

"Stahl!"

"Er, don't encourage… Lady Lissa."

"Hmph, that's not much better."

* * *

The convoy ate, groomed, and fed the animals. Soon, they were back on the road. They marched throughout the uneventful day, trying to break the tension by chatting with their comrades. The weather was lovely, and were it not for the weapons that they carried, observers could easily have mistaken the convoy for recreational travelers. The hours passed, and the party finally took another break when it was too dark to move. They set up tents and prepared dinner. The weary marchers had some down time, which they used for various activities. Sully, Vaike, and Lon'qu trained. Sumia continued a fictional book she had started in Ylisstol. Miriel also read, though her book was of a completely different genre. Donnel met a red-haired logistical support person. They were similar in age, which led to them quickly becoming friends. Most other people were catching up on sleep.

Robin was not catching up on sleep. He stood by the edge of the camp with the night sentries, watching the dark sky. Stahl, one of the Shepherds on night duty, stifled a yawn.

"Jeez, Robin, you should really get some sleep," he said, stretching his arms. "In an hour, that's what I'll be doing, I can tell you that."

"I doubt I'd be able to if I tried," Robin said, continuing to gaze at the sky.

Stahl followed his gaze. "The stars are pretty, though," he commented. "There are so many stars, sometimes it makes you feel small in comparison."

"Hmm? Oh, the stars?" Robin hadn't been paying attention to the stars. "I think the royal family outshines any star out there."

"Wow, you're quite a fan," Stahl commented. "Well, good for you. You're definitely not wrong."

"Stahl, I don't think he was gazing at the stars," Chrom said. Both of them turned to see the prince walking up to them. "He's looking for a pegasus."

"A pegasus?" Stahl asked.

"Our scouts are supposed to report back soon," Chrom replied.

"I want to know the Plegians' general position, so I can figure out the most likely area where we'll intercept them," Robin explained.

"Sounds good to me," Stahl said. "But you could probably wait in a more comfortable place. Like in your tent."

"I know, I know," Robin said. "I guess I could try."

"I'm sorry, Robin, but I feel like we both know that won't work." They shared a short laugh. "So, how are we looking so far?" Chrom asked.

"Excellent. We've covered a good distance, and the troops are in high spirits. I bet if you hadn't ordered a break, everyone would just march all the way up to the Plegian capitol," Robin said. "Right, Stahl?"

"You bet, sir!" Stahl replied.

Chrom laughed. "Good. Hopefully it won't come to that."

"I don't plan on it," Robin said. "I'll make sure of that. Just as soon as we get word…" Robin was interrupted by a pegasus flying past.

"Let's go," Chrom said. The two of them followed the pegasus as it disappeared amongst the tents in the middle of the camp. Soon enough, they saw Frederick looking for them.

"Milord, a scout has returned," Frederick reported, letting them catch up and joining them in their jog back to the center of camp. "I suppose you saw already."

"We were standing watch, waiting," Chrom said. Frederick gave him a concerned look. "Sorry, couldn't sleep. I'll get some later, I promise."

They approached a large tent, set up for meetings. Phila was talking to another Pegasus Knight outside the tent. The Knight saluted, then walked away. Phila then saw Chrom, Frederick, and Robin walking up to her. "Milord!" Phila said. "Please, allow me." She held open the tent flap. Frederick joined her and held the other side of the flap, allowing Chrom and Robin to walk in first.

"Chrom, Robin. Good evening." Emmeryn was already present, standing behind a large table.

"Emm," Chrom acknowledged.

"Lady Emmeryn!" Robin bowed.

"Wow, you're really demanding, Emm," Chrom remarked, observing Robin's formality. "I try to drop the formalities with the Shepherds."

"Robin, please!" Emmeryn walked up to Robin and guided his head back up. "Now Chrom thinks I'm hard on you." She playfully chided him. "I hope you're happy," she said.

"Maribelle!" They heard Lissa running outside the tent. Phila and Frederick kept the tent flap open for her. When she entered, she stopped for a moment to catch her breath. "Is… is Maribelle safe?" she asked, looking up.

"Milady, she was seen in good health," Phila said, entering the tent and dropping the tent flap behind her.

"Oh, thank the gods," Lissa said.

"Lissa, you're not going to get sleep?" Chrom asked.

"I can't sleep at a time like this!" Lissa exclaimed. "At least let me see the plan. Maybe I'll feel better then."

"Very well, then," Chrom said. "Phila, the report?"

Phila laid out a map on the table, and some miniature flags with wooden triangles as their base. "Two hours ago, our scouts reported the enemy was here," Phila said, placing a triangle on the map. "They had already made camp for the night at the time."

"They're taking it easy, then," Chrom remarked.

"Hmm. They may have accepted that we'll reach them first," Robin suggested. He took a flag. "If I may?" he asked, holding a flag and looking for approval at the people gathered around him.

"Go ahead," Chrom allowed.

"Likely, we will meet them around this mountain pass here," Robin said, marking a position a little distance away from the enemy's current position. He placed several triangles there to represent the enemy forces. "Do we have information on the Plegian troops?"

"About two hundred armed soldiers," Phila said, reading from a report. "Several more servants and supply personnel."

"Did our scouts see the type of arms?"

"Axes, swords, some mages. Maybe thirty wyverns. One pegasus. No archers spotted. We should be able to gain air superiority," Phila reported.

"No archers? Strange. Are you sure?"

"I have confidence in my scouts' abilities. See, we train ourselves to keep an eye out for archers in particular. We spotted no signs of them."

"A blunder on their part," Robin observed. "Better for us, then."

"King Gangrel was present as well."

"Gangrel!" Chrom slammed his fist on the table. Robin pondered.

"Ladies, gentlemen, I'd like to remind you that our hope is to avoid bloodshed," Emmeryn pointed out.

"Our job will be to protect Lady Emmeryn and ensure she can safely communicate with… ugh… those Plegians," Phila said.

"If possible, could you develop formations that aren't openly threatening?" Emmeryn asked. "Flexible formations that could adapt to any escalation and rescue Maribelle if need be. I'm sorry for asking so much, Robin."

"Please, Your Grace, do not apologize!" Robin insisted. "Accommodating you is my greatest honor. I know I don't contribute much else."

Chrom placed a hand on Robin's shoulder. "Relax. What do you propose?"

Robin studied the map intently. "Gangrel's presence might actually be to our advantage. They'll want to protect him, and in enemy territory, our territory, he's likely to withdraw rather than engage." Robin started placing opposing triangles on the map, to represent the Ylissean forces. "But since he's gone through so much effort, he will probably send a strike force to attack Lady Emmeryn."

"Can we just kill him here and be done with it?" Chrom asked, agitated.

Robin returned Chrom's gesture and placed a hand on his shoulder. His words were less encouraging though. "I'm sorry, but I don't think I can ensure that."

Chrom sighed. "Well, that's not the objective, anyway."

"Now, we can… well, **if** negotiations turn sour..." Robin hesitated for a moment.

"Thank you for considering me, Robin, but I still encourage you to come up with a contingency plan," Emmeryn said. She flashed a reassuring smile. "Go ahead."

"If negotiations turn sour, then Lady Phila, I suggest you send a squad of your Pegasus Knights to create a wedge between King Gangrel and Maribelle. They'll want to use Maribelle as a bargaining chip, so she'll probably be at the front, and Gangrel will be separated from her and immediately brought to the back if we suddenly attack."

"Maribelle..." Lissa said, her voice full of concern. "Will we be able to protect her?"

"Don't worry, Lissa. I promise we'll get her back safely," Robin said. "When the Pegasus Knights attack, the Shepherds will move in and rescue her."

"I'll personally make sure they don't touch so much as one hair on her lovely head," Chrom said.

"Oooh, I always thought you acted nicer around Maribelle! I'll make sure you get to her safely so you can be the dashing hero and save the damsel!" Lissa said, determined and enthusiastic.

Chrom gave Lissa a chop on the head.

"Heyyy!" Lissa said, rubbing the top of her head.

"Lissa, your magic has grown greatly from what I've observed," Robin said.

Lissa looked down at the ground. "Aww, Robin, you don't need to compliment me." She punched his arm playfully.

"Have you mastered the Rescue staff?"

"Oh!" Lissa looked up again. "Yeah, I can definitely do it! I know Maribelle the best, I'll definitely be able to cast Rescue on her!"

Robin exhaled in relief. "Good. Then Lady Emmeryn, I won't have to ask you to do it."

"Robin!" Phila said, protesting the very consideration of asking Emmeryn to do something.

"Phila." Emmeryn stopped Phila's one word protest. She looked at her little sister, concern in her eyes. "Are you sure, Lissa? I really wish you didn't put yourself in danger so often."

"This is for Maribelle, Emm," Lissa said, determination in her eyes and her voice. "And I learned about danger from the best."

"Chrom..." Emmeryn said, turning to her brother.

"Emm, she's referring to you," Chrom said with a laugh.

Emmeryn put a hand to her mouth, a slight blush appearing on her face. "Oh. I see…"

Robin was entranced for a moment. _"The royal family really does love each other. They're so… happy… together."_ He shook his head and returned his thoughts to the strategy. "Lady Emmeryn, when the Pegasus Knights cause Gangrel to retreat, and the Shepherds step in to rescue Maribelle…" Robin moved the wooden pieces on the map to simulate their actions. "Lady Emmeryn, you will be withdrawing with the rest of our troops to protect you."

Emmeryn was silent, thinking things over.

"I will be with you, Your Grace," Phila said, noticing Emmeryn's hesitation. "We will keep you safe."

"Yes, Lady Emmeryn, you do so much for us. Please allow us to do our task, so that we can support you to do yours," Robin added.

"Peace for Ylisse first, the world later," Chrom said.

"Very well," Emmeryn relented. "If battle commences, I will withdraw and observe from a safe place. But let us hope that it does not come to battle."

* * *

After covering other details, the meeting concluded, and most people walked out. Robin stayed to study the maps and hypothesize possible situations and responses. Finally, the lack of sleep was getting to Robin, and he yawned and stretched. He walked out of the tent and found that even the most hard-working of soldiers had turned in for the night as well. Only the soldiers patrolling for the night shift were still up. Robin stretched out toward the moon and looked at the silhouette of his hand in front of the moon.

"Robin."

Robin turned to see that Emmeryn was still awake as well. "Lady Emmeryn," Robin said, dropping his hand and walking up to meet her. "You should be getting some sleep."

Emmeryn smiled. "You should follow your own advice sometime," she said. She looked up at the moon and the stars. "I believe you will be in need of rest much more than I. The effort of the mission falls on your shoulders."

"I suppose you're correct," Robin agreed.

"I hope we're not demanding too much of you."

Robin was shocked for a moment. "Oh, no! No, of course not!" he insisted.

Emmeryn returned her smiling gaze to Robin. "Well, nevertheless, I appreciate it. All of us do. You've kept Chrom, Lissa, everyone safe. And I know you will keep Maribelle safe as well."

"Lady Sully said it well. We are strong, because our love for our leaders is exceeded only by your love of us. Or something like that. But we are only strong because we have strong leaders, worthy of our service."

"I am glad our love and dedication is rewarded," Emmeryn said. "Your words really do make all the effort worth it." Robin opened his mouth to speak again, but Emmeryn raised her hand. "I'm afraid we may just speak in circles about how great we both are."

"Hah!" Robin allowed a laugh.

"Which is a lovely activity. One we should continue when we're back in Ylisstol. But perhaps our time is better spent doing something else."

"Of course," Robin agreed. "Dare I ask, what keeps you awake tonight?"

Emmeryn looked at the stars again. "A troubled peace is still better than a just war. I just want to appreciate these moments of peace, however troubled they may be."

Robin joined her gaze. "The night sky will be the same, even during times of war. You can find moments of peace, no matter the times. Well, at least I'd like to think."

Emmeryn giggled. Robin looked at Emmeryn, confused.

"Perhaps I'm silly," Robin said, scratching his head.

"No, I like what you said. But did we not meet in similar circumstances, just last night?"

"Hmm. I suppose so. Same sky, same people. Well, a few more people, that's one difference."

"And you aren't bending forward like a table." Emmeryn giggled again.

"Like a table…" Robin thought for a moment, before the simile registered in his mind. "Lady Emmeryn!"

"I'm sorry, I couldn't help it! But maybe jokes at your expense are the key to making you relax."

"Hmph. Perhaps Lissa did learn from the best." Robin pretended to pout, but his struggles to keep a smile from appearing on his face failed after a brief moment.

Emmeryn breathed out in satisfaction and stretched her arms. They were silent for a moment, taking in the peaceful moment. Finally, Emmeryn spoke again. "I will be asking much of you in the future," she said.

"Lady Emmeryn…"

"This moment of peace, it's too precious. Too short. And too lonely." She paused for a moment, then reconsidered her words. "I mean, I appreciate your company, Robin!" she reassured in a brief panic.

Robin smiled. "Don't worry, I think I know what you mean. You want to share it with others."

Emmeryn nodded. "The Plegians. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but I want them to be at peace as well. And I know they'll need some convincing." She placed her hands on Robin's shoulders, startling him for a moment. She looked into Robin's eyes. "But I know with your help, all of your help, we'll be able to convince them." She let go of Robin's shoulders and placed a hand to her mouth to stifle a giggle. "Well, so long as you don't tense up so much and relax a little."

"Eheh," Robin laughed nervously and scratched the back of his head as he looked at the ground. "I'll try to relax more."

Emmeryn raised an eyebrow. "Promise?"

Robin met her look. "Promise," he replied.

Emmeryn gave Robin a curt nod. "Good. Then you should go get some sleep. If you hadn't promised, I would have ordered you to, and I don't often give orders."

Robin came to attention. "As you wish, Your Grace!" he said, snapping a salute.

Emmeryn giggled once again, the giggle that Robin was gradually getting familiar with but would always melt any tension away. "You may relax, Sir Robin." She waved her hand in front of Robin, gesturing for him to ease up. "Other than the time in front of Chrom and the others, I think you've improved greatly. There may be hope for you just yet."

"Thank you, Your Grace!"

"I'll take it." Emmeryn shoved Robin playfully. "Good night, Sir Robin."

Robin finally eased his posture. His eyes met Emmeryn's, and he smiled. "Good night, Lady Emmeryn. May the night sky be the same tomorrow."

Emmeryn returned the smile and walked off. Robin, glad that Emmeryn was the first to part ways, turned to walk to his tent. Realizing that his tent was in the same direction as Emmeryn's, he decided to take a longer route back to his tent. He finally plopped onto the mat on the ground that composed of his bed. Lying on his back, he closed his eyes and tried to sleep.

" _Hmm, I don't think I'll be able to sleep anytime soon,"_ he thought. He sighed, then smiled. _"At least it's because my heart's feeling warm and excited, rather than tense and worried. Ugh, why can't there just be a happy, sleepy medium?"_

* * *

 ** _Author's Note:_**

 ** _I was a little unsure about the first part of this chapter, only in that it seems to have a different tone than the second half._** ** _I had thought of just cutting it and starting it right when the scout arrives. Buuuut I didn't. So let me know what works and what doesn't work with this chapter and this story so far!_**

 ** _And I tried to think what Emmeryn would do when everyone made camp. I sincerely doubt she would just do nothing, but I couldn't think of anything else she'd do. So... hopefully she'd offer to help give out food._**

 ** _Also, at first I was gonna include the battle to save Maribelle, but then it was becoming too long. So, no action in this chapter. Just build-ups?_**

 ** _Writing this chapter made me read into medieval marches and logistics. Interesting stuff. This particular march might be too short for what I read to apply, but I tried to put some of it in there, and would like to put more in later. We'll see._**

 ** _Thank you, RedRomanPyro, for appreciating the existence of this story. Guest, I'm glad you thought the last chapter was well done. Actually when I looked at the word count, I thought it might be short. Zash101, glad you're looking at my other story too!_**

 ** _Thanks everyone for reading, reviewing, following, and favoriting!_**


	5. Conflicting Ideals

Chapter 5 - Conflicting Ideals

Robin surveyed the rocky terrain before him. His studious eyes did not betray his lack of sleep. He had woken up early and quickly, and had immediately set out to assess the current situation. Robin admired how motivated the rescue party was. Most armies would need a wake-up call, but here, most of the party were ready to move out. Robin hoped that their motivation didn't keep them from a proper amount of sleep.

"Robin, good morning," a lovely voice said. Robin turned and saw Emmeryn and Chrom walking up to him.

"Couldn't sleep, either?" Chrom asked, patting Robin's shoulder.

"Good morning, Chrom. Em… Lady Emmeryn. I managed a sufficient amount of sleep."

Emmeryn gazed out at the rolling hills. "This place and time would be so beautiful, if circumstances had allowed it," Emmeryn said wistfully.

"Don't worry, Emm, the circumstances will change in a few hours," Chrom said.

"Yes. I know you will be able to do it," Emmeryn said.

" **We** will be able to do it," Robin said. "We wouldn't be able to put forth so much effort without you, Your… Lady Emmeryn."

"Robin, if you keep speaking so highly of me, I fear I may become desensitized to it," Emmeryn said.

"Then I would ask your brother, because I'm too scared to ask you yourself, to tell you to stop being so praise-worthy, so that I may then stop praising you. But I don't think that would work out too well."

"I may have to ask my brother to tell his tactical advisor to stop being so formal and to speak more openly. His formality can sometimes veil a charming and engaging personality."

"Ah, but then I would be compelled to tell your brother to warn you that if I am encouraged to speak openly, I may just speak more highly of you."

"Your desired courier may not cooperate, and the communication would fail at the source," Chrom interjected. "Wow, I have never witnessed an… argument… of such nature."

"Yawn… I didn't know you all had become so close to each other..." The three of them turned to see that a fourth had joined them at an unknown time.

"Good morning, Lissa," Emmeryn said. Lissa stretched her arms as she walked sluggishly towards them. Lissa wrapped her arms around Emmeryn for a big hug.

"Lissa, how long have you been there? Were you able to sleep?" Chrom asked.

Lissa rubbed her eyes. "Oh, I've been enjoying your entire playful dialogue," she said. She removed her hands from her eyes to reveal a grin.

"I'm glad that you are at ease before this undertaking," Emmeryn said.

"Oh, I'm glad, too," Robin said. "I would feel bad if you interpreted our behavior as a lack of focus."

"No, worry not. I can feel your focus," Emmeryn said. "And I can see the underlying strength and conviction that all of you possess."

"That's our style, Robin," Chrom said.

"Yeah, Emm knows," Lissa said. "And if Chrom had given the word, don't you worry, I would be sprinting forward and ready to kick some butt."

Robin heard a knight's heavy armor approaching. "That word may be coming up soon," Robin said. They turned to see Frederick approaching.

"Your Grace. Milord. Milady." Frederick greeted the royal family first. "Robin," he added. "Reporting. The enemy is packing up, but they haven't sent any forward guard to secure their escape. I believe they are waiting to parlay," Frederick said.

"Good," Robin responded. He looked at the terrain again. "They know we'll be able to catch up, so they want to meet us where the terrain favors them."

"Then we are at the disadvantage?" Chrom asked.

"Not necessarily," Robin said. "This land will be difficult, but they might not know we have a smaller force than they do. The cliffs will limit their mobility more than ours. And our forces are more suited to this terrain." Robin smiled. "Don't worry. This will work for us."

Chrom smiled as well. "That is confidence I can trust."

Phila ran up to them. "Your Grace! Milord! Milady!" Like Frederick, she greeted the royal family. "The Pegasus Knights are in position and await our signal."

"Good," Chrom said. "Then it's about time we end the Mad King's little drama."

"Let us proceed to rescue Maribelle and end things peacefully," Emmeryn said, correcting Chrom's more aggressive word choice.

"Right. And I'll protect you all the way," Chrom said. "We all will."

"We will show Gangrel and the world that we are serious about peace," Emmeryn said. "But first, let us secure our own peace. Everyone, please be careful, so that we all can return home together."

"Let's move out!" Chrom said. They all headed off to gather their things and do last minute preparation.

Robin walked slowly, thinking about the upcoming field of battle. "Or field of conference," he thought aloud. "Hmm… If we could just position one person higher up on the cliffs. Miriel might be light and small enough, but I don't want our forward force to lose her magic, and I'll be needing her to send a signal…"

"Uh, sir, uh, if you'd be pardonin' my interruption."

Robin returned from his thoughts and looked up. Donnel was standing in front of him with another boy. "Donnel, please, don't worry and speak your mind. What can I do for you?"

"Well, you were walking kinda distracted, and my ma did tell me that eavesdropping ain't too proper…"

"Uh, Sir Robin," the other boy spoke up. "We overheard what you were saying. I… I think I could help."

"Oh?" Robin looked at the other boy. Robin remembered seeing him with Donnel yesterday. Upon closer inspection, though, Robin could sense the magical energy within him. A shape within the boy's cloak revealed that he was carrying a tome. "Hmm… Elwind is a difficult magic to master, and yet you are relegated to just helping with logistics?"

"Just helping where I can. Everyone here just wants to help."

"I guess you're aware, but my name is Robin," Robin said, extending his hand for a handshake. "And what's your name?" The boy smiled.

* * *

"Raaaagh!" Chrom struck the raider down with no hesitation and no mercy.

"Protect the Exalt!" Phila shouted, taking Emmeryn and withdrawing from the field of battle with seven other Pegasus Knights. A line of spearmen ran forward and formed a defensive line in front of the Exalt, while the Shepherds rushed past to join Chrom and Robin.

Robin clenched his teeth. Negotiations had failed, and Gangrel had declared war. Robin thought it was obvious that Gangrel had no peaceful intentions or desires. _"I hope Gangrel's obsession with war doesn't discourage Emmeryn,"_ he thought somberly. _"We will find that peace you are looking for, Emmeryn! But for now…"_ A certain Shepherd ran up to him, ready for orders. "Miriel, now!" he shouted.

"Acknowledged," Miriel said. She summoned an orange fireball and cast it into the air. It traveled far up, then exploded with a thunderous clap that echoed through the rocks.

* * *

Gangrel barely paid any heed to the fireworks. "Kill them! Kill them all!" he shouted. He had unsheathed his own sword and was ready to charge with his soldiers. Only his loyal subordinates were keeping him from taking the lead.

"Sire, please let Captain Orton take the lead. We must protect you," one of them said.

Gangrel snarled. "You dare to stop your own King?" he asked.

"Lady Aversa instructed us to watch over you and stop you from charging. She was very specific."

"Hmph. I would kill you as easily as I would kill her for insubordination."

"Of course, sire, but for now, I'm afraid you'll have to bear with us until you can draw punishment at a later time."

Gangrel eyed the loyal soldier with scepticism and irritation. He could see, though, that the soldier was strong, and despite his loyalty and accepting of his fate, he would still be difficult to kill. _"Aversa chose my guard well,"_ Gangrel thought. "Boring," he muttered, sheathing his sword. A moment later, the neighing of foreign horses drew his attention to the side of the battlefield. Several pegasi were flying towards him, all wielding spears."

"Protect the king!" someone shouted.

Gangrel snarled. "Those cursed Ylisseans!"

* * *

Aversa watched the Plegian troops from Maribelle's position at a higher part of the mountain. _"Our King really will be the death of us all,"_ Aversa thought bitterly. She watched as the Pegasus Knights charged into the Plegian formation and wedged Gangrel away from the forward assault party, commanded by Captain Orton. Aversa then turned to see a Plegian-robed figure, pointing and issuing orders. _"Clever boy,"_ she thought to herself, admiring Robin.

Suddenly, she felt a magical presence. Next to her, a Plegian soldier was thrown back by a blast of wind. Aversa summoned a magical shield, just in time to block an Elwind attack.

"Come on, Maribelle!" a boy shouted, grabbing Maribelle's hand and running away.

Aversa cursed. _"Well, the girl was never a priority. Gangrel is getting the war he wanted, so our primary objective has been completed,"_ Aversa thought, as she surveyed the battlefield. _"And it looks like I'm needed to start coordinating with those wretched defensive pawns of ours around Gangrel, before those Pegasus Knights annihilate our main force."_ Aversa stopped when she looked at the Ylissean line. _"Hmm… Little boy, are you intentionally leaving an opening? We might be able to exploit your position with a tactic similar to your own. Or are you aware of it and want us to attack?"_ Aversa mounted her pegasus and flew off to join the main force. _"Well, it's worth a try. Gangrel doesn't seem too attached to any of his soldiers, anyway."_

* * *

"Frederick, Sully, Stahl, lead the way!" Robin shouted through the chaos of the battlefield. "Virion, Miriel, supporting fire!"

Virion and Miriel ran with the three mounted knights up an inclined path through the rocks. They stopped and took aim at a Plegian axeman blocking the path. Virion let loose an arrow, closely followed by a wave of fire magic. The missiles found their target, knocking the axeman back and allowing Sully and Stahl to run over him. Frederick then rushed past, heading for a dark mage. Chrom jumped off Frederick's horse and landed one strike on the surprisingly sturdy mage. The opponent's constitution was no match for Frederick's silver lance, as it flashed through the air and pierced the mage's chest.

" _So far, everything's going as planned,"_ Robin thought as he looked at the allied and enemy positions. Ricken and Maribelle were on a horse, being chased by three enemy soldiers. Higher up the mountain, Robin could see a wyvern heading for Ricken and Maribelle as well. The wyvern was the greatest threat, with its mobility and the Ylisseans already weakened from dealing with the ground troops. Even if the wyvern didn't attack Ricken or Maribelle, it might be able to attack a tired Sully or Stahl. "Lissa, are you within range?"

Lissa took a deep breath, then pointed a staff toward Maribelle. She closed her eyes. "Clear the mind. Imagine the person." Lissa formed an image of Maribelle in her mind. She was smiling. They were running around in a courtyard. Maribelle was putting up with Lissa's energy. "Form the connection..."

* * *

Ricken saw Chrom, Frederick, Sully, and Stahl clear a path in the distance ahead of him. "Over there!" he said, pointing to the edge of a cliff.

"That's not where the others are," Maribelle said. "Ricken, I do hope you have a plan."

Ricken glanced at the Plegians giving chase. "Don't worry," Ricken said, somewhat shakily. "Robin did plan this all out."

"Robin?" Maribelle asked.

Ricken wasn't paying much attention. "Elwind!" he shouted, sending a wave of wind at a fast-approaching wyvern. The wyvern tumbled in the air and crashed awkwardly into the ground. It wasn't dead, nor was its rider, but Ricken had dealt considerable damage to it and had bought some additional time. Maribelle had reached the edge of the cliff. "Okay, hold on!" Ricken shouted, more for himself than for Maribelle, as he leaned forward and held onto Maribelle tightly.

"Ricken!" Maribelle protested, looking back for a moment. Her eyes widened when she saw an enemy swordsman getting dangerously close to them. Maribelle's horse shifted its weight, nervous at their proximity to the edge and at the threatening swordsman approaching quickly. The swordsman raised his weapon, ready to strike. "Ricken!" Suddenly, Maribelle's mind was flooded with pleasant memories of Lissa. In the next moment, Maribelle found herself on her horse with Ricken, positioned next to Lissa and a young man in dark, ominous robes.

"Maribelle!" Lissa ran up to Maribelle, then leaned forward to catch her breath.

"Robin, I was able to weaken the wyvern!" Ricken proclaimed as he dismounted Maribelle's horse.

Robin was already looking at the wyvern and the other enemy units. "Good. That should be sufficient." He watched as Virion landed an arrow on the wyvern as it tried to gain altitude. Chrom was exchanging blows with an axeman, and Sully and Stahl were using iron and bronze lances respectively to overwhelm the swordsman. Frederick readied himself a few meters from another dark mage. As soon as the mage stopped to prepare a spell, Frederick charged forward on his horse. Once again, his silver lance pierced the mage's chest, not even allowing the mage to cast one spell. "Miriel, signal number two!"

"Acknowledged," Miriel said again. She reached out toward the sky and unleashed a dark red fireball into the air, which once again exploded with a thunderous clap.

"The battle is proceeding well," Robin thought aloud for Lissa, Maribelle, and Ricken to hear, though his words were masking his suspicions that the Plegians had more planned.

* * *

The fireball was witnessed by several people in Gangrel's side of the battlefield. The senior Ylissean Pegasus Knight blew a whistle. "Stage three, stage three!" she shouted, rallying the other Pegasus Knights. The pegasi formed a line, two ranks deep. "Sweep!" The pegasi charged forward again, crashing into the lighter Plegian foot soldiers. The pegasi then swiveled like a door, knocking down any straggling soldiers that weren't able to fall back and reform their line. Finally, the pegasi withdrew, leaving behind a disrupted enemy formation and a cursing Gangrel.

"Kill them! Anyone!" Gangrel demanded. "Graaah!" He sent a bolt of lightning at one of the pegasi, but the rider resisted it and continued to withdraw. "Cowards! Hypocrits!" Gangrel shouted.

Aversa landed next to Gangrel with her own pegasus. "And this is why we should have brought archers," she remarked.

"My dear woman, please tell me you killed someone," Gangrel said. "That noble girl, for instance?"

Aversa smirked. "I'm working on it, oh King." She looked around at the tired soldiers that had been protected Gangrel. "Wyvern riders, to me!" she shouted. Some of the wyvern riders had been with Orton in the frontal assault. However, to Aversa's satisfaction, there were still twenty-four wyvern riders that had been cut off from Orton's group and were able to gather around her. "We'll try to draw some noble blood before the day is over, my dear King Gangrel," Aversa said. "Let's go!" She raised a lance in the air. Her pegasus started to ascend. The wyverns followed, eager for combat.

* * *

"Hah! Reinforcements!" Orton expertly timed the swing of his axe with the flight of his wyvern, swooping down toward the defiantly standing Chrom. Chrom did not allow word of enemy reinforcements to distract him from his foe. Deciding not to test his strength and capability in deflection, Chrom jumped and rolled to the side as the wyvern swooped past.

"Captain!" As Chrom stood up, he saw a pegasus fly past. The greyish-brown hair of the rider fluttered past as she landed a strike on the wyvern's wing, disturbing its flight.

"Thanks, Sumia!" Chrom shouted, running towards the wyvern as it landed to readjust its flight. Chrom saw the opening. He jumped up into the air and was able to slash downward, at the rider's head.

Orton was able to raise his weapon to block Chrom's attack, though Chrom nicked the top of Orton's head. "Aaagh!" Orton cried. Chrom retracted Falchion, preventing Falchion from getting caught by Orton's axe. The tip of Falchion slid past the axehead and past the handle. Chrom then extended Falchion outward again and continued his slash downward to cut the wyvern before finally landing on the ground. Sumia alighted next to Chrom, standing guard.

"I think your reinforcements will be caught out of position," Chrom said, grinning as he kept his sword pointing at Orton.

Orton clenched his teeth as he tried to focus his eyes on his forces farther down the mountain. The Plegians were using some ancient tunnel systems with multiple exits to bring in reinforcements. However, the terrain kept the soldiers from uniting and forming a cohesive group. The Ylisseans were able to keep Plegian reinforcements isolated and easily dispatched. "Curse this land," Orton muttered.

"You're finished!" Chrom shouted. Orton looked up again and saw Chrom and Sumia approaching for another strike. Sumia started the attack, thrusting her lance at Orton. Orton blocked it and caught the lance with his axe.

"Foolish girl," Orton said, grinning. He didn't realize that Sumia's attack had caused his wyvern to descend close to the ground. As he prepared to disarm Sumia, his wyvern jerked to the side. Orton lost his hold on Sumia's lance and securely grabbed the reins of his wyvern as he saw that Chrom had cut into the wyvern's neck.

"Now!" Chrom shouted. Together, Sumia and Chrom charged towards the vulnerable wyvern rider.

* * *

Robin watched with satisfaction as Chrom knocked Orton off the wyvern rider and finished him. The Shepherds had secured each fortification as well.

"The Plegians are retreating!" Sully announced from her position at one of the tunnel exits.

"Very good. Stay vigilant," Frederick said, riding down the mountain path.

Robin was at the central fortification, observing the field from an elevated platform. "Let's get back," Robin told Lissa, who was walking next to him. "The Pegasus Knights should be back soon. They'll need healing."

"You got it!" Lissa said, jogging to Robin's side. "I'm so glad Maribelle is safe."

"The battle isn't over yet," Robin reminded Lissa.

"Hmph, we'll cut them off at the border. They'll regret ever invading Ylisse!" Lissa said, clenching her staff.

Robin placed a comforting hand on Lissa's shoulder. She jumped a bit at the sudden contact, then relaxed.

"Sorry," she said. "I'm a little riled up."

"No, no need to apologize," Robin said. "But let's focus on the present. Even Maribelle insisted on helping out."

"You're right!" Lissa said. "Yeah, I can't let Maribelle help out more than me!" As they walked farther away from the primary field of battle, lines of Ylissean soldiers walked past them, gradually pushing up the Ylissean back line with the goal of meeting up with and relieving the Shepherds.

"Robin! Lissa!" Robin saw Emmeryn waving. She probably would have run up to them, had Phila not been vigilantly guarding her. "Where's Chrom?"

"He's watching the rest of the Shepherds as they secure the field," Robin said. "The Plegians seem to be retreating, but we shouldn't give up our position just yet."

"The Pegasus Knights should be back at any moment," Phila said. Her voice was steady and neutral, but Robin felt like he detected a hint of anxiety.

"They performed beautifully," Robin commented. "The Plegians weren't able to surge back, and we cleaned up the area successfully. And Maribelle is safe."

"Yes, I thought I had seen the rescue, but I admit I was a little concerned when I didn't see her brought back here," Emmeryn said.

"Oh, you know Maribelle," Lissa said. "She just has to keep a strong front."

"Her strong front only reflects the strong heart she has within," Emmeryn said.

Phila brought her pegasus forward for a moment. "Is that them?" she asked, indicating that she had heard something. "Hmm…" Phila clenched her lance cautiously.

Robin also sensed the approach of several flyers. He looked into the distance and thought he could make out a pegasus. His mind took one second to analyze the approaching figures' attributes and vectors. They did not seem to have friendly intentions. "Prepare for battle!" he shouted. He brought his arm around Emmeryn and Lissa and rushed them farther away from the attackers.

Phila, still not fully aware of the threat they were facing, did not wait to call for more help. "Form ranks! Protect the Exalt!" Thirty-six soldiers stepped between Emmeryn and the attackers. They formed three ranks of twelve soldiers. Phila returned to Emmeryn's side.

"Twenty-four wyverns. One pegasus. He… She's powerful," Robin reported.

"Robin, should we call back our other soldiers?" Phila asked.

"No time. This action will be over by the time a messenger even reaches them," Robin said, looking around and forming a plan. "Soldiers! Wedge formation!"

"Wedge formation!" Phila repeated.

"Wedge formation!" a line commander repeated. "Aye, ma'am!" To Robin's relief, the soldiers were able to form a decent wedge in front of Emmeryn.

"Robin, I'll take my Falcon Knights and skirmish with them before they reach our line!" Phila said.

"Good thinking, good luck!" Robin said.

"Phila! Everyone! Be safe!" Emmeryn shouted.

Phila nodded, then urged her pegasus forward. "Falcon Knights, with me! Hah!" she shouted, taking flight. The seven other pegasi followed her.

"Robin, what should I do?" Lissa asked.

"Emmeryn, Lissa, please, stay at the back of our formation, but stay close," Robin said.

"Of course, Robin," Emmeryn said. "Lissa, I'll protect you."

"Emm! I'll be protecting you!" Lissa declared.

"Lady Exalt! Lady Princess! Worry not, we shall protect you with our lives!" one of the line commanders said.

"Yes, please, do not worry!" another soldier agreed.

"For the Exalt! For Ylisse!"

The soldiers started chanting, drumming their weapons on the ground.

"Everyone…" Emmeryn smiled in appreciation. She closed her eyes and placed her hand over her heart. "May Naga bless all of you," she said. The soldiers cheered.

Robin was glad that the soldiers had so much motivation. He would have liked to commend them on their determination. However, his attention was to the air battle that was about to commence in just a few seconds.

* * *

Phila pulled the reins of her pegasus to halt her mount. She then raised a hand into the air, signalling the rest of her squadron to stop. Phila looked back at them, then through a series of gestures, indicated to them to equip their javelins. Phila turned back to the approaching enemy. She twirled her hand in the air and motioned for her own pegasus to turn around, ready to fall back and maintain a skirmishing distance. The other knights showed their training and followed in close synchronization.

The wyverns' screams started to fill the air. Phila could see the glint of the wyvern riders' axes. They were waving back and forth, ready to strike down the disadvantaged lances. _"They're arrogant,"_ Phila thought of the enemy. _"Bloodthirsty. Typical Plegian,"_ she thought with disdain. _"They will regret messing with my Falcon Knights. They will pay just for conceiving of the idea of harming Lady Emmeryn!"_ Phila shouted as she threw her javelin. Less than a second later, the other knights released their javelins. Phila then blew a whistle and started flying back to the Ylissean formation. She glanced back to see that her target had taken a javelin in the upper torso. The wyvern had slowed down, allowing the rider to aid his mount. Four of the knights' javelins had missed, which Phila attributed more to the challenging circumstances than to any lack of skill or the wyvern riders' strength.

Phila reached down for another javelin. She knew it was difficult to aim at a fast-moving wyvern while flying away from the target. Nevertheless, she wanted to throw as many volleys as possible, since even if they didn't hit a wyvern, they were buying precious fractions of seconds for Robin to refine their battle plan.

" _What an intriguing character,"_ Phila thought of Robin, as she glanced back at the pursuing enemy. _"I'm glad he seems to be on our side, though."_ Phila took her whistle in her mouth and blew three short notes. She then maneuvered her pegasus to change angles. The pegasi started criss-crossing, weaving invisible lines in the air. The change in angle allowed the pegasi to continue towards their destination, while providing the riders with an angle to aim and throw their javelins with enough strength to be a threat. Phila was happy to see that the wyverns started focusing on certain pegasi. One of the wyverns that was chasing another pegasus came unknowingly closer to Phila. Not wasting the opportunity, Phila threw another javelin.

* * *

Aversa watched as another one of her wyvern riders started lagging behind. _"Pesky Pegasus Knights,"_ she thought to herself. "Hah!" she shouted, urging her mount to the front of the formation. Ahead and past the pegasi, she saw her target. A group of Ylissean soldiers had formed a strong wedge in front of the Exalt of Ylisse. _"These Pegasus Knights will only have time for one more volley, it seems,"_ Aversa thought to herself.

Sure enough, Aversa saw arms being raised, with javelins in hand. The pegasus riders threw their javelins with deadly accuracy. Aversa didn't trust her soldiers' dodging skill. With the reins wrapped around her arms, she raised her right hand and used her left hand to trace the words of a tome that was tied to her left thigh. "Elfire!" she shouted. Six of the javelins disappeared in fire. _"I'll need to prepare better spells next time,"_ she thought to herself. "Aim for the right flank!" she shouted to her other soldiers, accompanying her shout with a gesture with her right hand.

* * *

"A dark flier!" Phila exclaimed to no one in particular. Her own javelin had been caught in the fire, and the two that were spared had missed their mark. _"Well, we've done what damage we could. Robin, I trust you will be able to defend against this attack with efficiency."_

The pegasi reached the wedge formation. They split into two and flew past the wedge, reforming behind Emmeryn and Lissa to act as a deterrent to any enemy flanking action.

" _Good,"_ Robin thought. _"Phila is a quick thinker. As one might expect from the Pegasus Knight Captain, I suppose. Ylisse really might not need my services."_ Robin saw that the enemy commander was probably aiming to attack the left flank. _"This commander is using her forces more effectively than the field commander. Curse the wyverns' mobility,"_ Robin thought to himself. "Shift left, two paces!" Robin ordered.

"Two paces left, aye!" The soldiers took two steps to the side, then braced themselves again for the wyvern charge to hit.

* * *

Aversa saw the soldiers shift to the right, slightly but significantly. _"That little tactician of theirs,"_ Aversa thought to herself, unconsciously licking her lips. _"But their rank is too thin. If we concentrate on one spot, we should be able to pierce through. And our objective is not the destruction of their army, but the elimination of one person."_ Aversa raised her right hand into the air, then sliced it downwards. She slowed her pegasus down to allow the more durable wyverns to pass her. The wyverns' wings pointed backwards as they accelerated and swooped downwards.

The wyverns' screams were accompanied by their riders' battle cries. The Ylisseans drowned the enemy's noise with their own chants. Robin then raised a hand, silencing them. He would've liked to take a moment to admire and commend them on their discipline, but instead he looked intently at the wyverns. "Fire!" Robin shouted, dropping his hand.

The front row of soldiers dropped to a knee, revealing six archers in the rank behind them. They let loose a volley of arrows, which caused more disruption than physical harm. Only one wyvern fell, probably weakened from the earlier skirmishes. Another lead wyvern adjusted its course, crashing into a wyvern behind it.

" _Curse their commander's competence!"_ Aversa thought, reflecting on Gangrel's neglection of archers. Aversa had forgotten that this group of soldiers could have archers.

"Brace yourselves!" Robin shouted. He took a step back, absorbing himself into the rear ranks. The soldiers' lances pointed outwards, forming a porcupine. The wyverns, smart enough not to fly straight into long, pointy weapons, formed a file just at the edge of the Ylissean wedge, allowing the riders to try to disarm some lances with their axes as they flew past. "Right section, to the left!" Robin shouted.

Instead of being organized by lines, the wedge was divided into sections. The right-most section started reforming on the left side.

"Forward!" Phila shouted, bringing her knights in to intercept the wyverns and stop their flanking attack.

"Elfire!" Aversa shouted, forming a weak point in the Ylissean line. "There, attack!" she said, directing the wyverns toward one point. She searched for another target to attack, when the Ylissean pegasi crashed into the side of the wyverns' charge. Aversa brought her pegasus to the side just in time to dodge a silver lance. "Oh?" she said to herself, looking at her new opponent. As her opponent turned around for another strafing run, Aversa brought her hand up and aimed. "Elfire," she said, more calmly this time.

Phila saw the energy forming around her. She braced herself with her lance as a fiery energy enveloped her. Her pegasus, a creature with a natural magical resistance, was able to funnel some of the magical energy away from Phila. Phila had also trained with magic. "Hah!" She swung her lance to the side, discarding the remaining energy. She then spun her lance over her head and aimed at Aversa once again. "Dark flier, you're mine!" Phila shouted, charging.

"My, my," Aversa said. She used her right hand to trace a circle in front of her, then snapped her fingers. Phila's lance was stopped by an invisible shield, which crackled and revealed visible hints of existence upon contact. "You're pretty good," Aversa said, admiring her opponent.

"Naga, grant me strength," Phila said, swinging her lance at Aversa. At first, her swing seemed haphazard. Phila then changed her lance's direction and thrust it at Aversa's leg.

Aversa dodged the swing, then noticed the sudden thrust. She detached her tome and used it as a magically-reinforced physical shield. She was able to deflect Phila's lance, but Phila managed to graze Aversa's leg. "Tch," Aversa said. "My counter," she said, reaching out as if to grip Phila's lance. Aversa then sent flames up Phila's lance and over her arm.

Phila gritted her teeth and inhaled deeply as she resisted the magic. She exhaled and dispelled the flames, but not before her arm had received a light but painful burn.

"Naga won't be helping you here," Aversa said, summoning another flame.

Phila smiled. "Perhaps I won't need Her help," she said.

Behind Phila, Aversa heard more battle cries. She ascended and saw several Pegasus Knights closing the distance.

"For the Exalt! For Ylisse!" they shouted, strong and proud.

"Tch," Aversa uttered again. Phila, hoping that her opponent was distracted, tried for another attack, but Aversa dodged it with ease. Aversa then raised her hand to the sky. A ball of energy appeared in the air, growing in size before exploding in a bright red fire. "We'll meet again, Pegasus Knight," Aversa said. "And please, my loving regards to your tactician boy," she added, mouthing a kiss.

Robin, unaware of the interaction between Phila and Aversa, knew that the fire in the air was the signal for the Plegians to withdraw. The wyvern riders were tenacious, and even when they were felled, their mounts would continue to thrash about. Robin made sure to allow the wyverns to have an escape route, because he didn't want them to be trapped and fight to the death. However, a few of them seemed determined to die.

"Aaagh!" one of the Ylissean soldiers screamed as he was thrown to the side by a wyvern's tail. Another wyvern came swooping down with suicidal speed, with a third wyvern following. The wyvern crashed into two lines of Ylissean soldiers, who then crowded around it to kill it.

"Reform!" Robin shouted. Some soldiers reassembled a line to take on the next suicidal wyvern. Robin lifted his right hand next to his face, then swung his arm down and diagonally, like a sword. "Thunder!" he shouted. A deafening clap announced the explosion of light energy around the Plegian wyvern rider. The rider cried out in pain as he fell off his mount. The wyvern continued, however. It crashed into the weakened Ylissean line and, before the soldiers could envelope the wyvern, it used its energy to climb a bit, shaking off the Ylisseans. It then swooped down one more time. Robin saw that its hungry eyes were looking at Emmeryn. "Emmeryn!" Robin shouted.

Emmeryn, who was helping Lissa heal some soldiers, looked up. She saw Robin standing between her and a huge, screaming wyvern. "Robin!" Emmeryn called.

Robin closed his eyes and breathed in. As he inhaled, he slowly brought his hand up again, ready to swipe down. When his lungs could take no more, he held his breath for a moment. In that brief moment that stretched on for eternity, the sounds around him, even the wyvern's furious scream, became only hints of whispers. Robin's mind became clear of everything, save for one image.

Emmeryn's smile had faded, only to be replaced with fear.

Suddenly, Robin's eyes opened, focus and determination flashing through. "Checkmate," he said, as he dropped his hand down like an executioner dropping a condemning axe.

A sphere of energy had appeared around the wyvern. The wyvern shrieked, perhaps reacting to the sudden introduction of a foreign sensation. The shriek was cut off a sudden moment later as the energy exploded in a brilliant flare of light and a deafening thunder. Everyone who had line of sight with the wyvern was blinded for several disorienting seconds. Everyone nearby, with line of sight or without, heard ringing in their ears for many seconds more. Robin had landed a critical hit, which violently shattered the wyvern, reducing it to a splattering of blood and sinew.

Phila had heard the thunder, but was far away enough not to be fully stunned by it. She looked around and confirmed that any remaining wyverns were retreating. The dark flier had been the first to withdraw. Phila was a little disappointed that she had only grazed her opponent's leg. _"So long as the Exalt is safe,"_ Phila thought to herself, bringing her eyes to Emmeryn. "Area clear!" Phila announced, rushing to be by Emmeryn's side again. "Your Grace! Milady! Thank the gods you're safe!" she said, dismounting and moving next to Lissa and Emmeryn.

"Phila..." Lissa said. She elongated the final vowel sound, exhaling from fatigue as she said Phila's name. Around them, the soldiers were helping each other up. It appeared that no one was killed, though several soldiers were injured and would not be able to fight for some time. Lissa began healing the soldiers with serious injuries.

Emmeryn had shielded her eyes, but was still affected by the sudden burst of light and sound. As her eyes readjusted to the change in light levels, she saw Robin standing unyieldingly in front of her, his back toward her. "Robin," she said.

Robin turned around slowly. Emmeryn gasped and her eyes widened when she saw blood covering Robin's face. As Robin continued to turn, Emmeryn could see that his entire front side was covered in blood and some pieces of flesh. "I'm sorry," Robin uttered, his entire body starting to shiver.

"Robin!" Emmeryn shouted, running toward him.

"Your Grace, please!" Robin said, his loud voice echoing sorrowfully as he raised his hand, gesturing to Emmeryn not to come any closer. His sudden movement accidentally flicked a line of blood drops onto the ground near Emmeryn's feet.

Emmeryn looked at the blood drops on the ground, then at Robin again. "Are you hurt?" she asked.

Robin looked down at the ground. "I'm… a monster," he said, his voice quivering. Streaks of blood on his face gave way to some tears that were slowly falling from his eyes.

Emmeryn exhaled in semi-relief. "Oh, Robin," she said, continuing to approach Robin. "Please."

"Your Grace!" Phila said in protest. She moved to stop Emmeryn, but Lissa caught Phila's wrist.

"Let us help, Phila. Now hold still, I see you've got some burns on your arm." Lissa started summoning energy in her healing staff.

Emmeryn had ignored Phila and came up to Robin.

"I'm… I'm not good for your peace," Robin mumbled.

"Hush, Robin," Emmeryn said. She extended the sleeve of her robe and raised it to Robin's face. Before Robin could say anything, Emmeryn's hand had started wiping the blood off his face with her sleeve.

Robin jerked his head back for a moment, only to make Emmeryn quickly maneuver her left hand behind Robin's head and pull his head forward, closer to her face. Emmeryn held Robin's head in place and resumed wiping Robin's face with her sleeve. "Emmeryn, please," Robin said weakly, almost whispering. "I'm dirty. I'm disgusting."

"Nonsense," Emmeryn said. She wiped the bottoms of Robin's eyes, then stepped back to look over Robin. She put her hands on Robin's sides, holding him steady, and smiled. "You are a wonderful person. You have a kind and beautiful soul, who would shed tears for others. Please don't speak ill of yourself."

"Emmeryn…"

"Because then you'd be saying I'm a poor judge of character," Emmeryn said. "And Chrom and Lissa, too. And I'd like to think we're not."

Robin didn't speak for many seconds. He closed his eyes and squeezed out two more teardrops, allowing them to run down his face and stop at his lips, where a smile had formed. "You're too kind, Lady Emmeryn," Robin said. He took a deep breath, then exhaled. "But seriously, now your robe is soaked, too."

"Oh my," Emmeryn said, examining her sleeves. A cloth was thrown onto Emmeryn's extended arms.

"You guys are so silly," Lissa said. "Come on, look presentable, Robin. The others are coming over." She grinned. "Let's go say hi to Maribelle!"

Robin exchanged glances with Emmeryn. They shared a smile, and Robin chuckled for a moment. "I suppose I wouldn't want to disappoint Chrom's stringent uniformed policy," he said.

"Frederick might actually be a concern in that regard," Emmeryn said. "Phila herself does not seem too pleased."

"Your Grace, if you would allow me to clean Robin here, we could spare you of this… unpleasantness," Phila said.

Emmeryn smiled. "Very well. I will find some fresh clothes to change into." She looked at the Ylissean people around her, all miraculously living. Some were injured, though, and she didn't want to think of how many lives had been lost elsewhere. Her smile disappeared. "I'm happy we are victorious in this battle, but I fear unpleasantness will be unavoidable in our immediate future."

Robin's weak smile also disappeared. _"There must be something more I can do for peace besides shed blood everywhere,"_ he thought to himself. _"Something I can do to protect that serene smile of hers…"_

* * *

 **A/N**

 **I tried something different with this chapter. Multiple perspectives. And wow, this chapter was one of the longer ones I've written, I think. Originally, I just had the scene of Robin feeling bloody and ashamed, and Emmeryn completely dismissing Robin's worries and cleaning him up. Aaaand then I guess I had to write 10 pages to lead up to it. Oh well, I feel pretty decent about this chapter. Let me know how it worked!**

 **Muggzy, thanks for your comments and for continuing to read my story. Yeah, Emmeryn's such a tragic character. I remember reading two fanfictions about letters being exchanged between Robin and Emmeryn. And they really got stuff in my eyes and made my eyes water... Stupid debris in my eyes...**

 **TaciturnReader, thanks for your comments. As for if this story will cover events the whole game... Well, actually, I guess I can say I will definitely be covering events for the whole game, but I don't know if they'll all be in this story or if I'll conclude this and then have sequels. But I already have some things written aaall the way into the Valm War, with the same exact setting. Hmm, I don't think it's spoiling anything, but I already have stuff written for the assassination attempt on Emmeryn, and then something that is spoiler-ish, and then yeah, some events in the Valm War. But, I have to create a bunch of stuff happening in between each event, and that's where I am now in the writing process. ...I don't think you asked for much of this response, but oh well, here's a huge paragraph response.**

 **Guest, it's always a pleasure to hear from you. Thanks for your comments. Ohhh, good ole' Chapter Nine in the game. My plan is to *spoiler spoiler spoiler spoiler*, then *spoiler spoiler spoiler* and then the credits roll.**

 **Thanks for viewing, reading, reviewing, following, favoriting! Keep it up, because your feedback really makes me feel like it's all worth it. ...Oh, and if there're any really annoying parts or quirks, let me know too, so I can improve.**


	6. A Sweet Return

Chapter 6 - A Sweet Return

The sounds of people cheering were heard well before the triumphant soldiers of Ylisse had passed through the gates of Ylisstol. A small squadron of knights had traveled through the city, informing the population of the Ylissean victory as they passed. Outside the gates, the knights waited to greet Maribelle's rescue party. Robin counted twenty-one horsemen. A lavishly-armored person was at the front of their formation.

"Who…" Robin began, before someone rode out from the Shepherds to greet the man.

"Father!" Maribelle called out, urging her horse forward to greet the formation.

"Maribelle, I am so glad to see you safe," the man said. "Were my legs swifter, I would get off this horse and embrace you, right in front of everyone."

"Father, please!" Maribelle protested. "Act your station!"

The man laughed at Maribelle's embarrassment. "Worry not, my dear, I am not so swift anymore." He leaned to the side for a moment to look past Maribelle, then urged his horse to sidestep. "And milady Princess, I hope my daughter has not been a burden." The man bowed.

Lissa appeared behind Maribelle, leaning to the side to wave at the man. "Hey, Uncle Brad! Of course not, you don't have to worry a little feather off your helmet."

Duke Bradley of Themis laughed. "Princess Lissa, I am glad you still have your energy and vigor."

"Of course, she is a jewel." Maribelle beamed proudly, as if she were presenting her own accomplishment. "As are the rest of the royal family."

Emmeryn rode up to greet the duke, with Phila and the Pegasus Knights behind her. "Sir Bradley, thank you for meeting us." Emmeryn raised her hand to greet the Duke of Themis. "We are delighted to have Maribelle with us safely."

Bradley bowed his head again, along with all the knights behind him. "Your Grace, you are too kind. I must thank you with all my heart. Maribelle is my daughter. She is my everything. So I shall give you everything for her safe return."

Emmeryn lowered her hand back to her reins, and flashed her comforting smile. "We are happy with our friendship with Themis, Sir Bradley. Our friendship to our people, that is everything to Ylisse, and for that, we will do everything to maintain."

Chrom and the rest of the Shepherds walked up to join the others. "Prince Chrom!" Bradley exclaimed. Seeing Chrom off his horse, Bradley also disembarked, with the rest of his knights following. He dropped to one knee and bowed his head.

Chrom raised his hand to stop them. "Please, it is not necessary.".

"But milord!"

Frederick walked up next to Chrom, reins in his hand as he guided his horse behind him. "Milord insisted on walking," Frederick explained.

"If everyone else is, why can't I?" Chrom asked.

Bradley chuckled. "Still a leader of the people, Prince Chrom," he said. "But you must forgive me if I wish to honor you this way."

"There is nothing for me to forgive," Chrom said. Bradley stood up.

"Please, Your Grace, milord, and milady. I don't mean to delay your entrance. We will speak in Castle Ylisstol. And we shall celebrate with a feast for your great victory today, and the safe return of my daughter. Come!" Bradley enthusiastically remounted his horse.

"A feast, you don't have to..." Emmeryn began.

Bradley smiled. "As I said, my dear Maribelle is my everything. Especially after the unpleasantness before…" Bradley trailed off for a moment, looking into the distance.

"Father," Maribelle said, concerned.

Bradley returned his gaze back to Emmeryn. "And so I shall give everything for her return." Bradley turned his head to speak to the knights behind him. "We shall be escorting you to the castle. Knights!" Bradley's great knights formed a position behind the rest of the rescue party, to follow them into the gates of Ylisstol. Maribelle was about to follow, when Lissa stopped her.

"Hold on, Maribelle, I'd like to talk to Chrom and Emmeryn," Lissa said.

"Oh, but of course!" Maribelle said.

Emmeryn turned her horse around to face the soldiers. Chrom, Lissa, and Maribelle were next to her, with Frederick and Phila behind them. "Ladies, gentlemen. You have risked your lives to protect Ylisse. Naga has blessed us with a safe return, but truly, all of you have blessed me and all of Ylisse with this victory."

The soldiers cheered. Emmeryn smiled in appreciation. A moment later, she raised her hand to silence the crowd.

"All of you deserve our utmost appreciation. The kind Duke of Themis has provided us with a feast." There were some cheers, before Emmeryn continued. "I am so happy that all of you are with us, to receive this meal. We all serve our friends and family, the good people of Ylisse, so when we enter the city, let us show the people that we are here for them, with pride."

Emmeryn nodded, then backed away as the cheers resumed. The cheering stopped when Frederick and Phila came forward.

"All right, everyone," Frederick said. "Let's prepare."

* * *

The foot soldiers were the first to enter the city, forming two columns. The Shepherds marched in with the foot soldiers, in between the two columns. Lissa was a passenger on Maribelle's horse at the front of the Shepherds, enjoying every moment of attention. "Naga, bless all of you!" Lissa shouted, shaking her interlocked hands in the air. "Thank you for the support, everyone!"

"Lissa, dear, I'm sorry to steal some of your fire, but I couldn't have a magnificent lady like yourself walking on foot."

Lissa was sitting on the back cushion of the pillion saddle. She took a moment from her waving to address Maribelle. "Oh, Maribelle, don't you worry one bit. If I had the reins, I wouldn't be able to wave like this!" She resumed waving for a moment with increased vigor.

"Darling, only you could take a second entrance and outshine the lead. Marvelous."

"Oh, hush. And besides, this is just as much for you as it is for them." Lissa then surprised Maribelle by hugging her with one arm, while using the other arm to continue to wave. The cheers became louder.

Behind Lissa, Maribelle, and the rest of the Shepherds, Chrom was riding on a horse. Sully, Stahl, Frederick, and Sumia surrounded Chrom. Chrom waved to the crowd, somewhat embarrassed. "Was this really necessary?" Chrom muttered.

"Your people always enjoy seeing their prince displayed so magnificently," Frederick said. "I'm sure this will have great effects in gaining support."

Walking beside Chrom's horse, Robin laughed. "He has a point, Chrom. And we'll need all the support we can get in the days to come."

Chrom turned to Robin briefly and gave him an annoyed look. "Hey. Why aren't you waving?"

Robin shrugged nonchalantly. "I'm but a humble servant for my lord."

"Robin, think like a political tactician. Wouldn't it do the country good if the people knew and accepted you? It would streamline communication with you." Chrom switched his waving hand as he spoke.

"Milord is quite correct," Frederick agreed. "I think I will start designing new posters. Not just with Chrom's visage, but perhaps you as well, Robin. I'm sure it will inspire many, the two of you, standing courageously and bare."

"Hear that, Robin? Get to it. Wave," Chrom ordered, not breaking from his own waving and smiling.

Robin sighed, then slowly raised his hand to wave. As his hand passed his eyeline, he glimpsed at the back of his gloved hand. While it was obscured from everyone else, Robin knew exactly where the mark on his hand was. Just the knowledge and memory of the mark almost froze his hand in the air. He felt the eyes marked on his hand were staring at him, passing judgment on him, creating plans for him.

The cheers grew louder, jumping Robin out of his reverie and causing him to look back. The Pegasus Knights had crossed the gates. Their well-groomed steeds with blue and silver armor carried their riders proudly. The riders maintained their formation and looked straight forward with discipline, not at all distracted by the crowd. Near the front of the formation, Phila also kept her face forward, though her eyes and peripheral vision were on high alert. While the easygoing Shepherds had their charm, Robin couldn't help but feel inspired by the proud and strong Pegasus Knights, wearing their shiny armors and blue and white cloaks.

Next to Phila, Emmeryn was riding a grey horse. She didn't have any shiny armor or weapons, but her simple, warm smile was far more radiant than the Pegasus Knights. The crowd seemed to agree, as they shouted praise and appreciation, and tried to get her to look their way.

Suddenly, Chrom's horse neighed and buckled slightly. "Whoa, Robin, watch where you're walking," Chrom warned, briefly distracted from his waving so he could secure his place on the horse.

Robin looked forward and saw that he had almost walked straight into Chrom's horse. "Oh, sorry," Robin said. "This waving thing is harder than I thought."

Chrom eyed Robin with concern. "Right. Well, we got a long walk ahead, so try to keep up." Chrom returned to looking at the crowds and waving. "Sorry that we don't have a horse for you. We should talk about that later, sometime."

"Later, perhaps, but don't worry about it," Robin said. The group turned a corner in the street, allowing Robin one more glance at the Pegasus Knights and Emmeryn. As usual, she was smiling at the crowds. Her smile was contagious, making Robin subconsciously adopt a smile on his face. Emmeryn closed her eyes and looked forward briefly, transitioning from looking at one side of the street to the other. In that short moment, however, Emmeryn's smile disappeared. Robin's smile faded as well. 'Something's bothering her,' Robin thought.

Emmeryn opened her eyes briefly and caught sight of Robin. She flashed a smile at him.

'This smile seems genuine. Well, we all have bothersome thoughts every now and then.' Robin used the moment to raise his hand and wave to her before losing sight of her behind the turn in the street. He turned and resumed waving to the crowd.

* * *

The sun had begun to set when they reached the castle. Lissa jumped off Maribelle's horse and stretched. "Whew. Now we can finally rest."

Chrom brought his horse up next to Lissa and Maribelle, with Robin and Frederick behind him. "I don't know if that'll happen just yet," Chrom said. He jumped off his horse and joined Lissa and Maribelle. "We've got a lot to do, I'm afraid."

"Yes, my good Prince and Princess. We have much celebrating to do." Bradley of Themis walked up to the group. "I hope you have the energy left for that." He helped Maribelle off her horse, and then gave her a hug. "I'll make sure that things are underway. If you'll excuse me." Bradley bowed, then left the group.

"I'm sorry, Lissa, my dear," Maribelle said. "I hope you're not too tired to appreciate our gratitude."

"Lissa'll always appreciate food if it's not marching food, don't you worry about that," Chrom said. Lissa playfully nudged Chrom away. "Sorry, sorry. Lissa, I know, you've been eating what we've all been eating and marching with us."

Lissa scratched behind her head. "Well, you're not entirely wrong. It'll be nice eating less gamey meat." Lissa grinned.

"Milady, I support you completely," Frederick said.

"Huh? Sorry, I missed that."

Chrom leaned to Robin. "Hey. Let's make an appearance and then dip out. We have a lot to plan for."

"Of course," Robin agreed. "Just give the word."

* * *

Robin finished his first plate of food. He leaned back and relaxed in his chair, savoring the food. "Good quality. It's been a while since I've had such good food. Shouldn't we be rationing what we get, though?"

"Hey, we don't get many opportunities. Take 'em when you can," Sully said, working on her fourth plate. "Food makes you stronger, too."

"Well, a balanced diet, perhaps," Stahl suggested. Stahl had opted for variety on his plates, trying every single item available.

"After this, we should train some," Sully said. "Turn all this food into muscle." She dug her mouth into a drumstick.

Miriel hummed and adjusted her glasses. "I would query the verity of your suggestion. The immediate physical exertion might precipitate your body to reject your nutriment."

"Huh?"

"I would be curious to see the results, though," Miriel continued. "Please, provide details should you disregard my solicitude."

Sully stopped eating her drumstick. "Um..."

"Whatever! Ole' Teach here is with you!" a shirtless man said as he walked up to the table, holding an entire roasted chicken and sitting down next to Robin. "Let's spar after this!"

Sully laughed. "I don't know if your support is a good sign, Vaike, but I can't say no to some sparring."

Robin smiled at the Shepherds' interactions. He looked at the others at the table. Sumia was counting flower petals. She looked up with a troubled expression and sighed. Robin followed Sumia's gaze and saw Chrom, who was standing by a table with some well-dressed people. He seemed occupied by their conversations, though not entirely comfortable. "You think we should save Chrom?" Robin asked.

Sumia perked her head up. "Save Chrom?" she asked, sliding a little closer to Vaike and Robin.

"Eh? Save from what?" Vaike asked, his mouth still occupied with some food.

Sully leaned forward, her hands gripping the edge of the table, ready to spring to action. "Some action?"

"Oh, no, relax," Robin said. "I just mean maybe we should try to bail him out of that conversation. He looks awkward."

"But… But what should we do?" Sumia asked.

"Were it that simple, my lovely flower petal." Virion joined the conversation, walking up to them with a glass in hand. "He is mingling with the nobles, which is sometimes a necessity as a leader of a country." He sighed, then took a sip of wine. "You need the support of the nobles to maintain a strong position."

Robin sighed as well. He looked at Chrom again and watched as Chrom nodded as he listened to a person. "Political tactics are a game I don't care to dabble in. Though all my strategy books acknowledge the necessity." Robin saw Lissa jump on Chrom's back and say something. The group of nobles laughed. "I wonder if Lissa realizes how strong she is in that game."

Sumia smiled. "I'm glad Lissa is there to lighten things up. I wish I… I mean we could help more, though."

"Indeed, but perhaps sometimes it is best that we leave nobles to the nobles." Virion said, before taking another sip. "Perhaps I should join them? I know not anyone more noble than myself."

Robin wasn't listening to Virion. He chuckled softly as he watched Lissa jump back down onto the floor, brush herself off, and look at the others. Chrom asked Lissa something, and she gestured to another table. Robin looked and saw Emmeryn speaking to an old man wearing green vestments. They smiled and spoke as if close friends. 'Their father is dead… Perhaps he was the father figure while they grew up?' Robin looked at Emmeryn's clothes. 'I wonder if green has a particular meaning to it here. Chrom and Lissa seem to wear what they want, but maybe Emmeryn follows tradition more.' Robin then remembered the fraction of a second when Emmeryn wasn't smiling at the audience. 'I wonder if she's okay. She doesn't seem hesitant or forced. Hmm, I haven't been able to speak with her today.'

Emmeryn looked up at Robin's direction, startling him somewhat. At that same moment, a voice called him from behind. "Sir Robin." Robin almost jumped out of his seat. He put his hand to his heart and took a few breaths as he and the rest of the group turned to see Phila walking up from behind Virion.

"Lady Phila!" Robin said, standing up from his seat and breathing deeply as he recovered from Emmeryn's glance and the sudden voice.

Sumia also stood up and came to attention, with Sully and Stahl. "Captain Phila!"

Phila waved her hand to tell them that they could sit. She then looked at Sumia, who was still standing. "Lady Sumia. Still with a flower in your hand?"

Sumia saw that she was still holding her flower. She immediately hid it behind her back and laughed nervously. "Eheheh, I didn't know you noticed."

"I saw your performance in battle. You carried yourself well. I'm happy that you are finding success with the Shepherds," Phila said. Her tone was neutral, but sincere.

Sumia had no doubt of Phila's sincerity. "Captain Phila!" she exclaimed, bringing her hands close to her chest and shaking with excitement. She closed her eyes, then breathed in and out. "I'm honored by your words," she said calmly.

"I must speak with Robin," Phila said.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Sumia stepped back as Robin stepped forward.

"Lady Phila, what can I do for you?" Robin asked.

"Have you finished your meal?"

Robin looked back at the table. "Oh, yes, sorry, I can just clean up and…"

"The servants will clean the table," Phila said. "I need to speak with you in private."

"Of course!" Robin turned to the others. "Hey, guys, I'll talk to you later."

"Let us know if we can help or anything," Stahl said.

"Or if you want a bout with ole' Teach!" Vaike added.

Robin and Phila turned to leave. Before walking, Phila turned her head slightly so the Shepherds could hear her better. "I see now why you were requested to join the Shepherds, Sumia. It's a shame you had to leave the Pegasus Knights, though."

Sumia smiled. "Thank you, but I wouldn't have it any other way. The Shepherds is where I belong."

Phila faced forward again and walked, with Robin keeping pace beside her.

'She's very disciplined, but she's actually quite a kind leader,' Robin thought. 'Then again, I've never been under her training, and Frederick's subtle kindness still hides a merciless trainer…'

"Lady Phila, Sir Robin."

Robin jumped at Frederick's voice. Frederick was waiting on the other side of the dining hall entrance. Phila kept walking, and Frederick joined Phila, so Robin had to jog a few steps to catch up.

"Robin, you've probably guessed, but we have much planning to do," Phila said. "We're at war now. We need to prepare."

Robin nodded. "Yes, I was wondering when we'd begin."

"A full stomach will help," Frederick said.

"Will Chrom be joining us?"

"When Lord Chrom is free, he will be able to join us," Frederick said. "We did not want to interrupt his meal."

"Lord Chrom, and the others, fully deserve at least a moment of rest," Phila said. "You as well. Unfortunately, we may not have that luxury."

"Agreed." They walked into the meeting room, which still had the scrolls from the Maribelle mission nearby. "Back in this room so soon," Robin said. "I should probably just make this my new room."

"We can find a cot, if you'd like," Frederick offered.

"Er, don't worry about it for now."

"Let's begin with our intelligence information on Plegia," Phila said. "And if there's anything you need, let us know."

* * *

Some time later, the festive sounds from the feast had faded. Phila had left to manage the Pegasus Knights. Frederick was also getting ready to leave. "Let's see how the Prince and Princess are doing," he said. "Are you sure you don't need anything else?"

"No, thank you," Robin said, not lifting his eyes from the maps and information laid out on the table.

"I will check back later." Frederick stepped out, leaving Robin by himself. Robin wasn't sure how quickly time was passing as he leaned over the table, studying the information in front of him. All he knew was at some point, his stomach started to grumble.

"Huh," Robin said, somewhat surprised by his stomach's announcement of hunger. 'Maybe there's still some food left in the dining hall,' he thought to himself. 'This is why I shouldn't have dismissed everyone's help. A runner would be nice.' He grabbed one of the lanterns and walked out of the room.

"Robin!"

Robin jumped back, then clutched his heart and caught his breath. "Whew! Gods, Chrom! What brings you here?"

Chrom had been walking toward the meeting room, and was only one step away from Robin when he called Robin's name out. "Sorry, I didn't meant to startle you. I just wanted to check up on you. You slipped out of that party before I could speak with you."

"Oh, no problem. I can understand, sometimes the prince may be busy with his kingdom. Or princedom."

"Yeah, sure. Anyway, how are things? Knowing you, you've probably been strategizing without rest. Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Well…" A yawn escaped from Chrom, interrupting Robin's words. "Er…"

"Sorry," Chrom said. "It's long past time to sleep. Especially since we're not out in a camp. Actual beds, and here I am, still awake."

Another yawn from Chrom made Robin briefly scan Chrom's face. 'He's exhausted. He needs rest more than I need help.' Robin stifled a yawn from himself. "I was actually going to rest now," Robin said.

"Plans have been completed?"

"Well, as much as they'll be able to with the information we have. We'll be taking a defensive stance for the most part. We'll be able to use our available manpower more efficiently by relocating patrols and primary response teams. I also hope to establish a network that will prevent any actions like Maribelle's kidnapping." Robin looked at Chrom, who was nodding at his words but also nodding asleep. "But we can have a briefing tomorrow morning."

While Chrom's eyes and head became heavier and heavier, he was still able to register Robin's words. "But it is tomorrow morning."

Robin looked outside a window. It was still dark outside. "Has it been that long?" Robin asked.

"I'm afraid so. How about this, is there any important information I should know immediately?"

"Well, Frederick has proposed a recruiting campaign, which may rely on your services. And if we can begin tomorrow, well, anyway, the earlier the better."

"Got it. I'll be prepared to leave and tour Ylisse."

"Great. Anyway, we can have a more in-depth briefing tomorrow morning… Er, when the sun is out," Robin said. "For now, get some rest. You're going to be traveling a lot tomorrow, so you'll be needing it."

"Sure. You get some rest, too. Naga knows, you deserve some." Chrom extended his hand and grabbed Robin's forearm. Robin copied Chrom, and they shook arms.

"A forearm shake," Robin commented as they let go.

"Saw someone else doing it, figured I'd try it. We're beyond handshakes," Chrom said. He turned around. "Talk to you in daylight."

"Good night," Robin said. He watched Chrom leave. When Chrom turned a corner, Robin headed for the dining hall. He had only taken a few steps, when he was interrupted once again.

"So then you've finished for the day?"

Robin jumped again in surprise. "Emmeryn!"

Emmeryn smiled. "Emmeryn?" she noted aloud. "So, you'll call me just 'Emmeryn' if I startle you."

"Sorry, I mean… Well, Lady Emmeryn."

Emmeryn giggled. "Too late. You called the Exalt, the sovereign of this land and representative of Divine Naga, by the informal name, Emmeryn." She walked to a window and leaned against the wall. "I shall remember this always." She adopted a fond smile, as if cherishing the memories of her siblings growing up.

"Hah. You are oh so humble as well, Your Grace, the Exalt Emmeryn," Robin said, also smiling.

Emmeryn's smile was bright, but temporary. She gave Robin a concerned look. "You've been working for hours, haven't you? I'm sorry…"

"Aw, nah, it's no problem. Lady Phila is the one who asked me, anyway, so don't worry about it."

Emmeryn smiled, though this time it was faint and weak. "I was the one who asked Phila to work with you. While I dined, conversed with others, and enjoyed a fine meal."

Robin was taken aback for a moment. He shook his head in disagreement and to reassess his words. "Lady Emmeryn, please don't concern yourself with it. Lady Phila and I, and Sir Frederick, we all have our jobs. And you have your job. I hope you don't expect me to converse with nobles and inspire with a radiant smile. Because my smile is… pale in comparison."

"I know, we all have our respective jobs," Emmeryn said. She sighed, then smiled. "Radiant, is that what you said?"

Robin looked at her smile and blushed. "Er, well…"

"I think you're unfairly assessing your own smile," Emmeryn said. "It's in the pale moonlight, after all, but there is much color to it." Robin's blush grew, causing Emmeryn's comment to be all the more true. "Sorry for teasing you, Robin." Emmeryn looked outside the window. "I know, we all have our jobs. I know we all have our strengths. I know you will carry your duties without any misgivings. And that you will perform with excellence, I have no doubt either." Emmeryn looked at Robin and smiled weakly. "Pardon me, but I will still sympathize."

"Lady Emmeryn, that is exactly why I will… your people will always lo… support you." Robin coughed to clear his throat. "You care for us. You do what is necessary. You have earned all of our love and gratitude."

Emmeryn looked into Robin's eyes for a long couple of seconds. "Robin, this is why I appreciate talking with you. You always say such nice things with total sincerity, and you never fail to make me feel better. I... can act human with you." Emmeryn smiled. "You know, I hesitate even to sigh in front of others."

"Hah! You know, I'll admit, it was a little shocking to see and hear you sigh the first time. I think today might only be the second time I've seen it. I shall remember always your sighs, Milady Your Grace, Sovereign Exalt Emmeryn."

Emmeryn laughed for a short but genuine moment. In that moment, Robin didn't see a sovereign. He saw a human being, a normal woman, joking with friends. "Naga help me, Robin, I don't know if I'm allowed to laugh this much. It's not very becoming of a lady of grace and exalted sovereign."

"Don't worry. My judgment of you has only decreased... a little bit as a result,"

Emmeryn smiled again. "A little bit less than radiant. I will survive, but strive to recover that judgment."

Robin's stomach suddenly growled, making his smile disappear. He clutched his stomach as if hiding it would mute any other sounds. "I…"

Emmeryn took Robin's hand and started walking. "Come," she said, giving no opportunity to negotiate.

"Emmeryn, I…"

"You were taken from dinner early, and you've been studying and strategizing without any break. Surely you can allow me to get you some food."

"Emmeryn, you don't have to…"

"Surely you can allow the reigning sovereign and Exalt to get some food for her own purposes," Emmeryn said in the same tone, but with emphasis on certain words.

Robin smiled, but was silent for a few seconds as he thought of a reply. "...You sure are attached to titles, Lady Emmeryn."

"Oh, hush." Emmeryn was walking ahead of Robin, so he couldn't see her face, but he could guess that she was wearing a smirk.

They passed by the dining hall. Robin kept his head on the dining hall entrance as they walked past. "Um, the dining hall…"

"You were gone for a while, Robin. All the food has been cleared." They entered an unassuming door next to the dining hall, which eventually led to a kitchen area. She brought Robin to a pantry and let go of his hand. She turned around and smiled. "We can prepare something here."

Robin needed some time to register her words. "Wait, wait, wait. Prepare? Food? Us?" Robin asked. "I had thought maybe there'd be some leftover food."

"This is what we have," Emmeryn said, showing Robin what was inside the pantry. "We have food lockers elsewhere, too, but I thought we might go simple."

Robin saw jars of pickled fruits and vegetables. In another storage section, there were kegs labeled with different meats, probably packed with salt as well. There were some confits. There were bags of flour and grains. "I don't want to rely on my cooking skills. Maybe some fruit will do."

"There's more than one person here, you know, and she could cook you up something. Unless you don't have confidence in my cooking skills…"

Once again, Robin needed some time to register her words. "You can cook?"

Emmeryn crossed her arms. "I've had to take care of Chrom and Lissa by myself for years." She relaxed for a moment. "Well, no, I don't want to take any credit away from our servants. They helped out a lot, too. But yes, I can cook." She walked over to a shelf and took some items out of a container. "How about some eggs? Simple, but effective. We have some breads, too. Maybe I could get some meat prepared as well."

"I mean, that would be lovely, but I don't want you to do this all for me…"

Emmeryn brought her hands to her stomach. "Oh, my, I'm feeling a little hungry. I'll prepare some food, but I don't want all of it to go to waste if I don't finish it."

Robin closed his eyes for a moment. He smiled. "Emmeryn, you are amazing. I just… you're the best."

Emmeryn smiled. "We do what we can." She placed the eggs on a table and started gathering supplies. "You can help. Maybe we can improve your cooking, too. Come on."

"Yes, ma'am!" Robin said, standing at attention and snapping a salute.

"Over there, get a pan," Emmeryn ordered, pointing to a cabinet.

"Right," Robin said, quickly relaxing and jogging to the cabinet. Emmeryn directed Robin around the kitchen, and pretty soon they started to prepare the food.

* * *

Outside the castle window, a breeze carried the scents of food beyond the walls. A well-trained nose picked up the scents. 'Smells delicious,' a man thought as he walked by the castle walls. He looked up and saw a few lights flickering in some of the window openings. 'Looks like there are still people up, even at this time.'

The man walked around the castle walls for a few more moments, before silently darting away. He kept himself hidden by staying in the shadows of buildings and merging with the darkness with his own shadowy clothes. He reached a particular tavern and inn. After climbing up a few barrels and boards on the side of the inn, he reached a window on the second floor and climbed through. He went to one of the room doors and knocked six times in a particular pattern.

The door opened, revealing another man. "You're back. What did you think?"

"It's an ambitious target," the shadowy man said. He put his hands on his head to relax and walked into the room. His eyes briefly caught something of interest on the table. "Ambitious, but delicious."

"You think it can be done?"

"Nope. Not at all. But you said we'd be able to get in," the shadowy man said, wandering around the room. "If that's possible, then anything's possible. We could be in and out without anyone noticing."

"That's the plan," the room inhabitant said. "But yes, we still have much to plan. It'll be a few days from now, and we'll keep you updated, but we're glad you're on board."

"Hey, thanks for helping me out." Another knock on the door made both men turn. After the correct knocking pattern, the inhabitant opened the door and let the new guest in. "I guess I'll head out then and check back later," the shadowy man said as the new guest walked in, holding a basket of food. The shadowy man dropped his hands from his head and swung them away from his body and over the table as he turned around and headed back for the door.

"Yep, check back later. You know where and when," the inhabitant said.

The shadowy man passed the new guest and patted him on the back. "Hey, good to see you," the shadowy man said.

"You, too. Night," the new guest said.

As the shadowy man walked away, the guest turned to the inhabitant. "I got the food."

"Great," the inhabitant said. "Afterwards, I got us some candies we can…" The inhabitant looked at the table, confused. "Wait a minute, where'd they go? Hmm, I must have misplaced them."

"Forget 'em. I got a few myself…" The new guest checked his pockets. "Or maybe I dropped them…"

Their voices didn't reach the shadowy man, who was already back outside in the shadows, enjoying a recently-obtained lollipop. "Mmm, strawberry-flavored," the shadowy man said to himself, brushing back some orange hair that escaped from his headband.

* * *

 **A/N**

 **I've been wanting to update this for aaaages. Though I only started working on this chapter… a few weeks ago? Maybe back in February or whenever I finished the darker season of RWBY.**

 **Yes, I am still working on Searching for an Olive Branch. And I will be working on I Search for You. I Search for You is a lot easier to update, with its shorter chapters, so expect that in more frequency. More and more Fates stories are popping up, so I might have to start churning those out, so I won't have the couple year delay that I did with Awakening. Though I still have to play Conquest and then Revelations. But I'll probably make Corrin/Kagero and Corrin/Camilla at some point… just like I'll probably make a Robin/Cordelia…**

 **Guest, thanks for commenting! Yay, I made someone tear up. That's maybe my primary goal with this story! Hopefully there'll be even more and a lot more tears in future chapters! I sure do like making people cry. ...through stories.**

 **RED Roman Pyro, thanks for commenting! I don't want to spoil anything. I'll just say that I have ideas. And stuff will happen. And emotions will hopefully be felt, both by the characters and the readers.**

 **Anyhoo, thank you for reading! Please comment/criticize/follow/favorite.**


	7. A Calm Morning

**Chapter 7 - A Calm Morning**

The sound of a wooden door creaking open was the first stimulus that registered in Robin's weary brain. His consciousness started observing more of his surroundings, such as the feel of the hard cot underneath a grass mattress. Birds were singing peacefully outside. The sun was barely peeking over the horizon, providing enough light to see around the room, but not enough light to inspire Robin's eyes to open just yet.

The footsteps that came after the door creaked open told Robin that perhaps he should open his eyes, but his body still resisted. There was a small clatter in the room as the unknown guest maneuvered through the room. It wasn't until a woman's voice called his name that Robin finally relented to the demands of reality and opened his eyes. "Robin," the voice called calmly.

Robin wasn't able to suppress a groan before managing an apology for his sluggish behavior. He sat himself up and rubbed his eyes before opening them and looking at his guest. "Lady Phila. Apologies. I'm still…" A yawn escaped Robin's mouth before he could cover his mouth with his hands.

Phila was already dressed to ride out at a moment's notice if necessary. Her hands were folded behind her back in what she deemed to be a comfortable posture. She stepped up to Robin and scanned him with her serious, scarlet eyes. "We may need you more alert in the future," she cautioned. She then brought her hand to her mouth and cleared her throat. "Though I understand our requests have allowed you little rest, so I will offer you my apologies. And…" Phila took a saucer and delicate white cup from a side table nearby and extended them to Robin. "Lady Emmeryn wished to offer you a cup of tea."

Robin semi-consciously extended his hands and accepted the tea. "Thank you," he said, taking a sip from the contents. The hot liquid coursed through his system and brought his senses back to full consciousness. He looked around the room and remembered that he had spent the remaining hours of the night in the meeting room, going over information and forming plans. The dim, sunlit room suggested to Robin that it was still early in the morning. He then realized who Phila had mentioned had offered him tea. "Lady Emmeryn!" he exclaimed, suddenly standing up. "If she is already awake and working, then I must be shamefully late right now!"

Phila allowed the crack of a smile to form on the side of her mouth, before she successfully removed it. "While I agree with your sentiment, your saving grace is the fact that with Lady Emmeryn, even I have trouble waking up and preparing before her. Her Grace is not just a title. She is the epitome of excellence." Phila turned and looked back at the door for a moment. "Lord Chrom is not up yet. He is also an early waker. I suspect you are as well, in most circumstances."

"Right. Well, I will not pursue my defense any further. Have you need of something now?" Robin asked.

"Not particularly now, no, but there is much on the agenda. Lady Emmeryn anticipates that Lord Chrom will be awake within the hour."

"I know that Chrom wanted me to brief the Shepherds after their morning drills."

"Yes. I would also like your report before that, so I can prepare my knights."

"Right." Robin tapped his chin in thought. "When Chrom wakes up, perhaps we could have the briefing? Here, I suppose, and I'll tuck away this cot."

"Hmm." Phila placed her hands on her hips as she analyzed the situation. "I wouldn't store away the cot just yet. Do you foresee yourself spending several nights here in the future?"

"I…" Robin had to reflect on the situation and on his own personality. "I suppose that's highly likely, to be honest. Though Chrom may not approve."

"Lady Emmeryn would also not wish that." Phila cleared her throat again. "I don't wish this of you, either, of course. But until we set up a more appropriate quarters for you, or when the circumstances are more manageable, you'll have to forgive me for asking this of you."

Robin noted that Phila was independently expressing some personal concern for his well-being. He smiled. "Not at all, Lady Phila. I appreciate your concern, but let's all work our hardest for Ylisse."

* * *

Robin was able to wash up before the meeting. After Phila had delivered her message, she left to presumably attend to Emmeryn. Robin used the free time to find the washroom and cleanse his face. He changed into fresh clothes, then clipped on his typical dark cloak. He was walking back to the meeting room and his makeshift bedroom, when he heard two pairs of boots behind him.

"Robin!" Chrom called, jogging up to him and assuming the same pace. "Robin, good morning to you. How'd you sleep?"

Robin chuckled. "I slept," was his response.

Chrom groaned and massaged his forehead. "Ugh, I'm sorry, Robin."

"Don't worry, Chrom. I'm used to it. How about you?"

"I also was able to sleep, so we can leave it at that."

Robin glanced behind Chrom for a moment. "That might be a step above Frederick, I suppose. Tell me, have you been up already, training?" His last question was directed at the armored knight following Chrom.

"I'm aware you have been awake for some time, Robin. Next time, I'll invite you to join my pre-dawn exercise routine," Frederick replied with his usual neutral expression. "It's quite lighter than my dawn routine, so I'm sure it should be much more appealing to you."

"Frederick, I don't know how you cram so much activity in so short hours, but it is always impressive," Chrom commented.

"Thank you, milord."

After a few minutes of walking and chatter, they reached the meeting room. With Frederick's help, Robin was able to arrange some related maps and documents on the table. Robin formed a list of key points he wanted to cover, and started reviewing the information in his head. Soon after, Phila entered the room. She looked around as if assessing any potential threats in the area. Then, she stepped to the side and bowed.

The sun was higher in the horizon at that point in the day, and it showed by pouring considerably more light into the room than when Robin woke up. There was a particularly bright ray of light cast towards the entrance, only to be reflected off by the bright colors on Emmeryn's robe. Her golden halo was almost camouflaged in her unintentionally brilliant entrance. "Good morning, everyone," Emmeryn said with a smile and a wave that matched the reflected sunshine. She stepped into the room and settled at the front of the main table, next to Phila and across from Robin, Chrom, and Frederick. "I'm sorry I have probably impacted all of your sleep schedules."

"Not at all, Your Grace," Phila said as she stood up straight from her bow.

"Yes, please don't worry yourself over that," Robin said.

Emmeryn turned to Robin for a moment. "Please note that we need to discuss your living quarters before we conclude this meeting. We cannot ask you to stay overnight and brief us in the morning and rob you of a decent bed."

Robin was taken aback for a moment, until he realized she was referring to his agenda. "Oh, thank you for the consideration, Lady Emmeryn, let me write that in my meeting notes," Robin said, adding the item to his list of key points.

"It would be nice if you had permanent quarters here in the castle," Chrom thought aloud. "I wish we could get all the Shepherds into the castle."

"Space and logistics, milord," Frederick pointed out. "The barracks is as close as possible while still maintaining all their functionality and self-reliance."

"Yes, yes," Chrom yielded with a sigh. "But anyway, Robin, I'm sorry. What is on the agenda?"

They discussed a wide variety of topics. Robin handed each person present a paper report on his ideas. The first item Robin outlined was about ideas on troop positions, defensive strategies, and logistics. He explained his ideas with the use of the big map on the table, and with several wooden triangles and blocks. "This network should allow us ample warning time, despite our limited numbers," Robin said, pointing to a few marks on the map. "We get the warning, then we reposition our main forces to intercept at a… reasonable distance."

"Sounds logical enough," Chrom said as he leaned towards the map and examined the areas that Robin had flagged. "Phila, it should be possible, right?"

Phila was looking at her copy of Robin's notes, then at the map. "Going by these numbers, yes, this seems feasible. We should be able to make it work."

Emmeryn nodded. "Excellent. Robin, please continue."

The next topic Robin covered was about census data and possible recruitment campaigns, which Chrom would spearhead. "The data shows that the people will fight for Ylisse. The people have mostly expressed satisfaction with the new Exalt, Lady Emmeryn. Our recent victory in battle will only add to their patriotism."

"More young people to enter the war," Emmeryn noted softly and quietly, so that others couldn't hear. Robin was still able to pick up her sentiment, and he closed his eyes and cringed briefly in response.

Robin decided not to address Emmeryn's concern. He took a deep breath, exhaled, and opened his eyes again. "Now, this job, I'm afraid I might not be that effective. Chrom, I am guessing that the people will probably respond to you more favorably than me."

"I mean no offense, Robin, but I agree completely," Frederick said. "I have some rousing campaign poster designs that I can share as well-"

Chrom was quick to interject. "Let's see what else Robin has," Chrom suggested.

"Very well, milord."

Chrom caught Robin's eye and silently demanded with a glare that Robin change the subject. Robin cleared his throat and transitioned into the next topic in his report. He started discussing the anticipated impact on the treasury and some economic tactics they could employ, which was an area he admitted was not his strongest point. "I mean, I don't have much experience in this… at least to my memory… but if this proposed reallocation of taxes goes to the war efforts, we could significantly improve all our equipment and readiness. And we could persuade the affected nobles with the war bonds I mentioned."

Emmeryn was staring at Robin intently. "Very interesting. The nation would be in debt for a period of time, but a certificate of guaranteed future payment… Robin, were you a merchant in the past?"

Robin scratched the back of his head nervously. "Eheh… Well, I don't quite know, to be honest. Maybe I was a street vendor."

"No, no, Robin, you don't have to be so humble. You are still most impressive," Frederick said. "You may not have been a merchant in the past, but you certainly remind me of one. The one I got my unique lance from." Frederick closed his eyes and nodded his head. "You are making me admit that perhaps it is a good thing when we found you out in that field that we didn't just leave you there, or throw you in a dungeon to interrogate you, as I had first suggested."

"Ummm…" Robin scratched the back of his head again, unsure of how to respond.

"Sir Frederick?" Phila asked, concern appearing on her face. She looked from Robin to Frederick and scanned his face. She only found the usual neutral expression that Frederick always maintained.

"He's joking, Phila," Chrom explained. "Frederick, at least smile or something when you jest, or no one will catch your sarcasm."

"Very well, milord," Frederick replied.

"I don't believe Frederick was wrong," Emmeryn said, making everyone turn to her with some confusion. "You are definitely most impressive, Robin. Your way of thinking is innovative and extensive. I will take your financial suggestions and discuss them with our other advisors. I think your ideas will be helpful and productive. Robin..." Emmeryn waited until Robin stopped looking away shyly. Robin noticed the pause and glanced at Emmeryn, locking eyes with her for a moment. "Thank you, Robin," she finally said, flashing a tender smile.

Robin couldn't help but blush. "No no, thank you." He bowed for a long moment, unable to maintain eye contact without feeling like his face was going to melt away. When he stood up straight again, she was still smiling at him. He laughed nervously and scratched the back of his head. "You are too kind, Lady Emmeryn," he added.

Emmeryn finally broke away from Robin's direction and turned to Phila, who nodded. "Robin," Phila began. "There is a room we can furnish with a bed and desk. It is near our castle archives, which should be convenient and helpful to you."

"I… I'm grateful, thank you," Robin said, giving Phila a bow as well.

"You'll get a proper bed," Chrom declared. "We can't have you tired and aching every time we call on you in the morning."

"Have I been vocal about that?" Robin asked. "All of your generosity so far has been more than sufficient."

"You haven't, but these things are noticeable," Frederick said. "We want you and all of our people to work at maximum capability."

"Lady Emmeryn only wishes the best for all," Phila added. "Robin, I can show you the room after this."

Emmeryn looked around the room. "Well," Emmeryn said, clapping her hands in conclusion. "Thank you, everyone. Let us adjourn for now. Frederick, I know your exercise needs nutrition as well to support it, so our wonderful servants have prepared a small morning meal."

"Thanks, Emm," Chrom said. He pat Robin's shoulder and prompted him to move. "Let's go get some food."

Robin massaged his stomach. "I know I haven't done any physical work yet, but I could do with some good food right now to break the long fast."

"Oh? Hmm." Emmeryn hummed and tapped a finger on her chin. She then looked at Robin with what seemed to be a sympathetic gaze. "I suppose you've been fasting for a while. You didn't get any good food at all last night, did you?"

Robin looked at Emmeryn for a moment, confused at her specific concern. Suddenly, he remembered his unplanned encounter with Emmeryn the previous night. They had spent some long hours preparing and tasting food. As the memories rushed back to Robin's head, his face became blushed and a horrified expression appeared. He stuttered a response. "N-n-not at all- I mean of course I had a most excellent and appreciated meal last night!"

"Please, Robin, you don't have to lie. I know we all kept you from dinner," Chrom said. "I'm really sorry about that. We're all really sorry. You deserve so much more than the tasteless scraps you probably had to deal with."

"Yes, Sir Robin. You don't have to lie," Emmeryn said, maintaining her gaze on Robin. "We are all really sorry for the tasteless scraps, and you deserve much more. Please, go to the dining hall where I hope you can find a decently made meal for once."

Chrom clapped his hands on Robin's shoulders. "She said it. Come on, Robin, let's go." He started pushing Robin out of the room, with the others following.

"Please, Your Grace!" Robin pleaded as he was ushered out, waving his hands in disagreement. Emmeryn didn't turn to Robin. Her eyes remained forward as she walked past. "Please know that I am eternally grateful for your compassio-" Robin stopped for a moment when he noticed Emmeryn's eyes glance at him, and a crease forming on the corner of her mouth. Robin needed a moment to recover from her seriously-delivered teasing. "Your Grace, the Exalt, Lady Emmeryn, you could be a marvelous theater actress."

At Robin's words, Emmeryn finally turned briefly and gave Robin her usual warm smile, which Robin now suspected had a mischievous aura behind it. "Thank you, Sir Robin."

Phila, unaware of the teasing that was taking place, but fully agreeing with any praise for Emmeryn, took a few steps ahead of the group and turned around. "Milord Chrom," Phila said, bowing. "Allow me to show Robin his room before he joins you for food."

"Oh, right," Chrom said. He continued walking ahead of Robin. "Lissa should be awake now, so I'll check on her and I'll see you at the dining hall."

"Of course, thank you. I'll be right there," Robin replied. He allowed the group to move forward for a few more steps before turning to Phila. "Where to, Lady Phila?"

Phila extended her hand towards a different direction. "If you'd follow me this way. It's not too far." She waited for Robin to start moving before she joined, walking to his side.

They walked quietly for a moment. Robin was still thinking about Emmeryn's playful teasing, which a clever eye may have inferred from his smile. After a few moments of silence, however, Robin's thoughts moved from Emmeryn's playfulness to Ylisse's current grim situation. "I know I'm giving the Pegasus Knights a large burden with their part."

"It is no burden, Robin," Phila replied, as cold and serious as her ice-colored hair. "It is our duty and honor to serve Ylisse to the best of our ability."

"Nevertheless, it will be an important but dangerous task at the border. I know your knights are in fine battle readiness, but a strategic awareness will be the most important. They won't be out there to win battles, but to provide information."

"Robin, I take offense at your lack of confidence. We Pegasus Knights aren't berserkers. We train the body and the mind, in weapon proficiency and tactical decision making.

Robin stopped walking and bowed deep. "I'm truly sorry."

Phila sighed. "Rise, Robin. We're almost there, so let's not delay." She waited for Robin to stand up straight again and continued walking. "Anyway, I have an excellent commander in mind for the assignment. You've seen her in action. She was the one who led the knights in Lady Maribelle's rescue operation."

Robin recalled the knight who led the charge into the large mass of Plegian soldiers, and the successful tactical retreat before they could be overwhelmed. Robin nodded to himself. "She did perform well in that battle. Maintaining formation, timing both the strike and the retreat."

"Lady Severa is one of our best and brightest. She will manage." Phila didn't allow for further discussion on the topic. She stopped in her tracks, making Robin stop as well. "This is it," she said, standing before an unassuming wooden door. She removed a keyring from her belt and selected a particular key to unlock the door. She then pushed the door open, revealing the room inside.

Robin grabbed hold of the doorframe, leaned in, and peered inside his new room before entering. The room was filled with papers and scrolls. The opposite wall had shelving installed, though the shelves were long overwhelmed by the quantity of materials stored in the room. There was one desk, which was covered with parchment. Everything had a thin layer of dust. "Looks lovely."

"Hmm." Robin wasn't facing Phila, but he could feel her judging eyes absorbing his sarcasm. Phila cleared her throat, though Robin wasn't sure if it was either to change thoughts or because she had inhaled some of the dust floating in the air. "This used to be our archive's overflow room," Phila said. "Or just a storage room. Hmm. You got a layer of dust on your glove."

Robin saw that Phila was looking at his tattooed hand. He let go of the doorframe and withdrew his hand. "Oh," he began, though Phila continued to speak.

"Worry not, we will get it cleaned and cleared out for you to use within the day."

"No worries here, Lady Phila. The mattress you provided was fine enough. Any improvement there will be a luxury. All of this is a luxury, really, I've barely even stayed in one building for long."

"The soldier's life." Phila reached for the door handle, prompting Robin to step away from the room. She closed and locked the door, then handed Robin a key. "Let's get you to the dining hall. Lord Chrom is likely waiting for you."

"Right." Robin bowed and gestured with his hand for Phila to move forward. When she took a few steps ahead of Robin, he withdrew his hand and started massaging the back of his hand where his tattoo was, as if Phila's previous glance at it had burned through the glove and into his skin. _"Hmm, is the tattoo a secret?"_ Robin asked himself. _"I don't think they care too much, anyway. And even Phila has been most kind to me. Well, I probably shouldn't worry about it or think about it too much."_ Robin looked at his hand again as he walked. He then looked up and glanced outside a window he was passing by. _"There's so much more to worry about, anyway."_

* * *

 **A/N I'm trying to get back into this story, too. Can't believe it's been so long. Thank you, everyone, for reading! Especially despite the long time since updating.**

 **Red Roman Pyro, thanks for staying with this! I'm glad that for one chapter, you saw improved writing quality. I'd actually be interested to know what in particular you saw improved, so I can focus on that and continue. Hopefully this chapter is decent, too!**

 **TaciturnReader, hah, you were glad that the series was back aaaall the way a year and five months ago. Well, I'll be trying to update a story a month, so my goal is faster than a year for the next update! (...low standards) But thank you!**

 **Guest, thanks for commenting! Yeah, it is bittersweet. I hope to capture some of that emotion in this story.**

 **Rac95, thanks for reading! Yes, I also wonder how my take on number 9 will feel...**

 **Da Etan, thanks for reviving this! I really don't know why I didn't update this earlier. But, here you go.**

 **This was a pretty short chapter, but I hope it added more to some other characters. Once again, thank you everyone, and please continue to read, review, follow, favorite, PM!**


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